Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
by SnowLitaxX
Summary: AU. Trish Stratus is America's sweetheart. Jeff Hardy is the infamous, bad boy, drug addicted rock star. She loved him. He loved drugs. They break up and their lives take different turns but will they ever cross paths again? Features lots of the original WWE superstars, various pairings and friendships. Strong language/sensitive themes.
1. Prologue

**A/N - For the people who read 'What Now?' I know I've still not completed the story but I'm working on it and the final chapters will be out before new year on the plus side I've written 8 chapters so far (the rate I'm writing will very soon be around 10 chapters) of this story so that when I go away I'll be able to post it automatically every few days (or when I have internet lol) I've just been so excited about this story and I was going to wait to post it but I just couldn't! It's set in AU and Trish/Jeff pairing but won't just focus on them it'll have other WWE characters who are VERY relevant... The good thing about this story is I can literally take it so many different places. I hope you love it as much as I love writing it. If you could read and review it would be very much appreciated as I'm trying to keep the Jeff/Trish pairing alive even after all these years.**

 **DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS AND NOT MYSELF.**

The sound of a glass vase smashing into a million pieces was enough to wake the rockstar up. His eyes were sticky and sore from the minimum sleep that he had received from the night before - or early morning. His mouth was dry and the taste of whiskey and other substances was still fresh on his taste buds. He didn't know what day it was… but that was tour life.

"You fucking piece of shit!" A familiar voice echoed through the room as Jeff finally snapped into reality. He examined the room and watched his girlfriend of 5 years on a rampage in his hotel room. Still not knowing what was going on… he looked to the side of his bed to find a half-naked brunette who was slightly terrified by the actions of his girlfriend.

"Trish… baby… what you doing here?" Jeff's southern accent was hoarse. No matter how many years he had lived in New York the southern accent stuck on him like glue.

"Baby? What am I doing here? Are you being fucking serious?" Trish's eyes looked psychotic as she picked up an ashtray which had half a joint rested in the middle and threw in between Jeff and the unknown girl causing the brunette to try and run away as Trish pounced on her like a predator on its prey.

Jeff's eyes widened as he jumped out the double bed and grabbed Trish by her hips lifting the blonde off of the girl. The whole time Jeff examining the rest of the room - girls passed out all over the hotel room, his friend Ron Killings (better known as R Truth) standing in the corner smoking a joint while bags of cocaine smothered the room and pretty much any inanimate object that was there. Seeing his band members (his older brother Matt and his best friend who also happened to be his brother's girlfriend Amy) at the hotel door.

"You let go off me!" Trish was still kicking and trying to wriggle her way out but the strength of Jeff was too much. He wasn't overly-muscular but he didn't need to be. "You're a fucking mess… Bitches all over your hotel room and in your bed! You cheating scumbag!"

"I didn't cheat on you… I wouldn't cheat on you… it was just a party… it's not what it looks like!" The blue haired 21 year old rockstar finally let go of Trish who had finally stopped screaming and kicking and throwing fists in the air instead more defeatedly she began to cry.

"What about the drugs Jeff? Huh? The white shit that I can still see in your nose!" Trish sobbed lightly as she couldn't even make eye contact with him. The use of his first name made his stomach drop to his feet and a sickly feeling came upon him. She rarely called him Jeff… and if she did - he really fucked up. "You told me you were clean… you told me you wouldn't be doing this while you were on tour! You lied to me!"

"Yo come on now blondie… you need to chill… he ain't cheat on yo' ass… this homie love yo' ass too much you got him whipped girl… we was just chillin' and havin' some fun shawty… you know how it gets… it ain't even that deep sis…" Ron's attempt at calming the situation down was not helping as Trish's tears turned to anger and she began to throw daggers at the rapper with her eyes… if looks could kill… "Smoke some of this girl… you be 'aight…"

Ron offered the blonde the nicely-rolled joint she looked the rapper in the eye, her nostrils flaring at the cheek of him before slapping the joint out of his hand. Jeff still felt the sickness in his stomach… the gagging began to start...

Maybe it wasn't Trish's words making him feel sick… maybe… it was…

BLEURGHHHHH

Jeff began to throw his guts up for a solid 2 minutes. Trish's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head in disgust. Amy and Matt over-viewing the situation with remorse in their eyes. They had told Trish where Jeff was. They didn't go out their way to tell Trish but when Jeff's long-term high school sweetheart said she needed to speak to him urgently and he's not answered her calls or messages they couldn't lie and say they hadn't seen him he was on tour with them.

Once Jeff had stopped throwing up, his green and yellow guts lay in perfect view for everyone on the floor. Jeff wiped his mouth with his sweatshirt as he turned to look in Trish's eyes but she was already stomping out of the hotel room.

"Trish… Trish… wait… Trish!" Jeff called after his true love who wasn't responding until he had finally caught up to her, halting her exit as he stuck a hand on her elbow and forced the blonde to turn around. "Please don't go… I'm sorry baby… I let you down… I know that… but I love you… I didn't cheat on you I promise… I didn't fuck that girl… I just passed out… it was a crazy night that's all… I'll walk off the tour right now and go back to New York with you…. Whatever you want me to do I'll do it…"

Trish looked up as she attempted not to start sobbing like a baby - instead she took a deep breathe. She wasn't shouting. She wasn't screaming. She wasn't fighting. She was defeated. "You don't get it Jeff… It's over… for good… I don't care what you do anymore… go and have your fun…"

Jeff couldn't believe what he had just heard. He shook his head in denial. "Nah we aint over… You know we aint… we can't be over… I love you and you love me… I'm gonna marry you Trish… you're my forever… you know that… we're not over."

Trish tried to break free from Jeff's hold but to no avail. "Let go of me Jeff… we're over… we were over the minute you put that shit up your nose… the minute you went to sleep in the same bed as the girl… you didn't need to fuck her!"

Jeff pushed Trish against the wall in attempt to stop her from walking away. "No… please… we need to talk… we need to sort this out… like we do…"

Matt, Amy and Ron came running down the corridor of the hotel where the commotion between Jeff and Trish was continuing. Jeff had Trish pinned up against the wall as Trish tried to push back but still unsuccessful.

"Get off me… look at you… you're a mess!" Trish spat at her now former boyfriend.

"No… I just need to sort things out with you… I can't let you walk away Trish…" Jeff began to plead with the blonde who's heart broke more and more as Jeff was withstanding the inevitable outcome. They were over.

"C'mon brother… let it go…" The older Hardy brother began to intervene as well as Amy who also tried to reason with her best friend who she barely recognized.

"Do you think this is going to help you win her back?" Amy's tone was harsh and blunt but something that the lost soul needed to hear whether he liked it or not. "You're making things worse… let her go!"

Jeff finally released his grip on Trish, her voice was shaky and dry. "Who are you?"

Hanging his head in shame Jeff watched as the love of his life made her way out of the Vegas hotel as if a knife to his heart was getting pushed in more and more with every step she made. She finally was out of his range as he could feel his temper growing and his anger building up inside him.

"This is all your fault!" Jeff hissed as he got into his brothers face. "And yours you dumb bitch!"

Matt pushed Jeff for the way he spoke to his girlfriend. The two brothers began to get head to head. "You watch your mouth! This is your fault! You're out of control!"

"Fuck you!" Jeff pushed Matt back.

Ron pulled Jeff away from Matt while Amy pulled Matt away from Jeff. Amy wasn't taking the comment personal and as much as she loved Matt for defending her honour - it wasn't the right time. Jeff had been on a spiral since the first day of the tour 5 months ago. It was never a good idea for Jeff to be around the music industry especially with his history of substance abuse but he had promised everyone it was just do what he loved; which was to perform music. Amy and Matt both started to notice he was losing sight of his morals and his passion for music. He had lost his way…

"You know what Jeff… we're done… fuck this... I don't want any part of this!" Matt screamed in the face of his brother who just chuckled.

"I don't need you… I don't need any of you!" Jeff chuckled maliciously. "You go… take your whore with you!"

"Jeff…" Amy sighed. "Why are you being like this? We've been best friends since we were kids.. When you used to visit Brooklyn to see your uncle when he used to live in my neighbourhood… I'm not the enemy…"

"Don't speak about her like that!" Matt shouted back to Jeff.

"You know what Amy let me ask you a question!" Jeff's grin becoming more poisonous by the minute. "Why did you fuck Adam Copeland on the night of your prom when you're supposed to be dating my big brother? Would that be because you're a whore maybe?"

Amy's face immediately painted with guilt and flashbacks of her dreaded prom. Jeff walking in on her cheating on Matt as she pleaded with him not to say anything to Matt and that it was a drunken mistake and she loved his brother. Jeff had promised not to say anything.

"Like I'd believe you… you fuck your own life up and now you're try to fuck everybody else's up!" Matt laughed not believing Jeff until he looked at Amy's face and there was only one word to describe her. Guilty. "Amy…?"

Jeff began chuckling as Amy grabbed Matt by his arms. "I'm sorry Matt… it was a mistake… I was 18 and I was drunk and it didn't mean anything!"

Matt pushed Amy off of him. "Don't you dare fucking touch me…"

"Matt this was years ago I was young and stupid… I'm 21 now and I'm still with you! I don't want to be with anybody else!" The roles quickly reversed from Jeff begging to Trish and now it was the fiery redhead that was begging for the love of her life.

"What do you want Amy a prize? You fucked one guy once and it's not a big deal because you stayed with me? Is this a joke?" Matt laughed. "Fuck this I'm done… I'm done with all of you… Fuck this shit I've had enough…"

Amy shot Jeff a look of despair as tears began to run down her face. Jeff just smirked with no remorse for his former best friend and big brother as he watched them walk down the corridor arguing about the night that Amy had tried to erase from history.

"Dude… what the fuck... Team Xtreme is done… no more tours…" Ron's first sentence since they had all entered the corridor, he was still stoned and didn't really know what to do while all this was going on. In all the drama nobody had realised there was people out from their hotel rooms with cameras in their hands recording what had just happened.

"What the fuck you all looking at!" Jeff screamed at the guests in the hotel. "Fuck this… let's go out of here…"

" _Look like it's trouble in paradise for socialite Trish Stratus and her high school sweetheart rockstar and frontman of the band Team Xtreme Jeff Hardy. The two were heard to have a heated argument in a Las Vegas hotel room which then erupted on to the corridors to be filmed by guests at the hotel. Jeff and his brother and bandmate Matt Hardy were then seen to go head to head with each other before Matt and girlfriend and also bang member of Team Xtreme Amy Dumas then began to argue as they left the hotel. Controversy has risen over the band Team Xtreme over the last couple of months and it looks like the band are splitting up without finishing the end of their national tour in addition to both relationships being ended as well … All parties involved have no comment on the situation and any upset fans will be refunded for the cancelled tour dates… I'm Gail Kim and I'm reporting for NewsOfAmerica."_

"This is a bloody nightmare for your public image!" Jeff's publicist William Regal spoke in a strong English accent. "I bloody warned you Mr Hardy... I said you do what you bloody want on tour… party like it's 19-bloody-69 for all I care but you've bloody made everything public knowledge. We can't even withhold the public bloody knowledge on the reason why we cancelled the tour because videos are bloody knocking round the internet like I don't know what… your brother has told me to do one and not that nicely either may I add and that bloody Amy has disappeared of the face of the earth… This is a publicists nightmare you do understand this don't you young man!"

"Any publicity is good publicity right?" Jeff chuckled as he sat in the chair opposite from William and began to pour himself a whiskey on the rocks. Something about dark liquor appealed to him - he imagined it reflected the darkness in his soul.

"Not when it has a video of you holding American Sweetheart Trish bloody Stratus up against a wall as she bloody begs you to let her go!" Regal aggressively turned the laptop around as Jeff watched the repeat of the events that happened in Las Vegas before downing the whole of the glass of whiskey. "Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

"It's 5 o'clock somewhere right?" Jeff chuckled, he was acting completely out of character but he had nothing to lose - he didn't have to hide from Trish anymore. "Look Willy…"

"I told you my name is bloody William… Mr Regal to you in fact…" Regal being dramatic as usual as he fixed the tie on his suit.

"Right William… Mr Regal in fact… This is perfect… Everybody loves a villain… the bad boy… the tortured soul… They don't call me the charismatic enigma for nothing y'know…" Jeff smirked as he began to pour another whiskey in his glass. "I can do this on my own… I'm talented… I can sing… Matt and Amy were just holding me back… now I can write the music I want to right… perform the way I want… party how I want… everybody loves a rebellious rockstar!"

"I bloody hope you're right…" William shook his head before taking the whiskey out of Jeff's hand. "Now that's enough drinking in here get out my bloody office before I change my mind and get rid of you as a client altogether!"

" _I'm Gail Kim and I'm reporting for NewsOfAmerica."_

Trish sat in her New York (Upper East Side) penthouse as she watched the news report and sobbed into a pillow. Jeff had broke her heart - he lied to her, he made a fool out of her, he had let her down. Trish began to blame herself for everything that she should've went on tour with him and been by his side but she soon shook it off. He should be able to restrain himself without the presence of her company. They weren't teenagers anymore… they were teenagers… Trish was creating her own fashion company and Jeff was making a name for himself in his music career but at the end of it all they were going to get married, start a family, have it all - he had ruined it all.

"Come on Trish you need to eat something…" Trish's best friend since childhood Stephanie McMahon had been by her side since the blonde had returned from Las Vegas.

Trish sniffled as she wiped her tears from her eyes but the evidence of heartbreak was all over the blonde's distraught face as she shook her head. "I'm not hungry… I just feel sick…"

Stephanie hated to see her best friend in this condition, the only times she had ever seen the blonde this upset was when her parents got a divorce when she was ten and then four years later when her mother married somebody else and then a year ago when her mother decided to sell her fashion company instead of handing it down to Trish. Twenty one years of friendship and that was the only three times she had ever since Trish break down except for now.

"I hate seeing you like this…" Stephanie sighed as she pushed Trish into her arms and began to cuddle the blonde who's tears and mascara was getting all over Stephanie's white gucci shirt - if that wasn't love then Stephanie didn't know what was. "You're going to be okay… it hurts now… but you made the right decision… he will only bring you down… time heals everything… you got this Trish… you're one of the strongest people I know… and I've got your back until the day we die… and if you don't want to do anything… I'll sit by your side until you do…"

Stephanie's words were making Trish cry more. Their friendship stopped being friendship when they were 10 years old and quickly turned into more of a sister relationship. They may not be blood sisters but they were most definitely soul sisters and it was nice to know that there was somebody that Trish could count on. Unlike every other person in her life.

"Stop crying Stratus before I hurt somebody!"

Maybe there was one other person Trish could count on. Her step-brother Chris Jericho. Her mother Alice married his father Ted when they were 14. The two had known each other forever because their parents roamed in the same circles and they hated each other at first but siblings do hate each other then they love each other then they hated each other then they love each other once more and Chris was the closest thing to family Trish had anymore.

The only problem was… Chris and Stephanie _hated_ each other. Their families were rivals and had been for many years - Stephanie's father Vince the owner of McMahon Corporation and Chris's father Ted the owner of Jericho & Co. Not just that but Chris was pretty much an ass to everybody and didn't really do himself any favours but he was never an ass with Trish… well not when something serious was happening… when it came down to it he had her back.

"Please don't argue with him…" Trish looked at Stephanie and then back to Chris.

"I'm not going too… I'm the one who called him!" Stephanie wasn't too happy to admit it but Chris was the exact person they needed right now.

Trish's jaw dropped at the news in shock that Stephanie managed to be civil enough to get through a phone call with him never mind be in the same room as him.

"Yes… the billion dollar trash bag hoe…" Chris smirked as Stephanie's eye darted at him and began to squint in annoyance. "...sorry… I mean Stephanie McCunt…"

"Chris…" Trish sighed, not really in the mood for Stephanie and Chris to go at war with each other. "Stop it…"

"I'm joking…" Chris laughed as he playfully hit Stephanie still more forcefully then he should have as she punched back, hurting his thigh. "Owww."

"I phoned him because I knew you needed him…" Stephanie saying the words caused her more pain than anyone could imagine but Trish did need him.

"Yeah I was living my best life in Miami… couple of bad bitches by my side on my dad's yacht when I seen Trashbag Hoe pop up on my phone… I knew then it was serious…" Chris planting next to Trish opposite to where Stephanie had already been sitting with the blonde.

Chris had seen all the news regarding Trish and Jeff and he was used to it. He was good friends with Jeff when he arrived in their prep school in sophomore year with his brother - they stuck out like a sore thumb. Jeff and Matt were country boys and the whole big city life was new to them but when their parents died in a horrific car accident they had nowhere else to go except their uncle's who enrolled them at Sacred Hearts Preparatory School. The most elite high school in New York City where all the rich and famous teenagers were all put together under one roof. Chris took them under his wing where Jeff eventually met Trish who had caught his eye the first day he started and by the time they were 16 and starting Junior Year they fell in love - but their relationship was passionate which at times resorted in heated arguments and Trish throwing the occasional plate at Jeff's head. Chris didn't believe they would be done for good.

"I finished with him Chris… we're done." Trish began to cry as she said the words knowing that she meant everything she had said to her now ex-boyfriend. "He was a mess when I seen him and I've needed him the last few weeks and he's not been here for me and then I go to Las Vegas and I find him with stupid bitches all over the room and drugs everywhere and I just can't do it anymore Chris… that wasn't my Hardy Boy that I seen in Vegas… I can't do it anymore I've given up so much for him I mean my mother practically sold her company that was supposed to be my family legacy because she didn't want me with Jeff and after everything we've been through he just wants to go down this road again… I can't do it… I just can't…"

By this point Trish began to sob once more. Steph looked at Chris as she sympathised with her best friend and Chris sighed as he put his hand on his head.

"You'll be okay Trish…" Stephanie hugged her friend one more time knowing that no matter what she said she would not be able to take away the hurt her friend was feeling.

"Yeah… we're going to be with you… every step of the way…" Chris solidifying his role in the upcoming mission in mending and putting Trish Stratus back together as he hugged the two girls even accepting Stephanie.

" _I'm Gail Kim and I'm reporting for NewsOfAmerica."_

Matt sat in his uncle John Bradshaw Layfield's townhouse in New York. Matt still couldn't believe how far his uncle had come from living in Brooklyn when he was a kid to becoming a successful stock investor - he was living the dream and he had done so much for the boys when their parents died. Matt didn't have anywhere else to go.

He needed to speak to his uncle about the whole situation, the recent outburst between Team Xtreme was more than a band issue. It was personal. His brother had spiralled out of control destroying his whole life and breaking the silence on Amy's affair also destroyed his life in the process - but Matt couldn't just blame Jeff. Jeff wouldn't have been able to ruin his life if Amy hadn't slept with somebody else.

"See what I mean JBL!" Matt raised his voice slightly before being shushed by his uncle.

"I know it's bad Matt… I just don't know what to do… you're not high school kids anymore… I can't just pay off Jeff's chaos like I used too… he's on his own now!" JBL rubbed his head unknowing what to say to his oldest nephew.

"He won't listen to me… maybe he'll listen to you?" Matt was angry at Jeff, he was disappointed and hurt but no matter what he was still his older brother. He still wanted to protect him.

"When has that boy ever listened to me?" JBL chuckled as he flicked the television over to another channel.

"There must be something we can do?" Matt began to get angry at JBL for being so calm and relaxed about the situation as he frowned at his uncle.

"There is…" JBL said as Matt began to look hopeful before JBL replied once more. "Leave him to make his own mistakes… He's going to party and think everything is dandy but when that comedown hits him and he's alone and the party's over he will realize…"

"Realize what?" Matt raised an eyebrow unsure about his JBL's tough love routine. Yeah Matt gave him the whole 'Fuck you, I'm done, I don't care' routine but he was fronting. He was also planning to go back to Jeff once he had calmed down and talk to him.

"He will realize that drugs don't love him, alcohol don't love him, them phoney friends, them strippers or escorts or regular hoes don't love him… You love him, I love him, that Stratus girl loves him… Amy loves him…" JBL saying Amy's name caused Matt's blood to start boiling. "Speaking of Amy have you spoke to her since y'all broke up."

Matt shook his head.

"Why not?" JBL raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Because like the drugs don't love Jeff… she doesn't love me." Matt hissed with a lot of venom and bitterness on his tongue. He didn't think Amy would ever break his heart, she was like his family, his brother's best friend, a girl he watched grow up and would tease and call her names to hide the fact he secretly had always loved her. He was hurting just as much as Trish or Jeff.

"That's bullshit son…" JBL chuckled. "You need to talk to her… now I don't know the ins and outs of it I'm trying not to get to involved with your boys affairs and business as you get older you're twenty-three and Jeff is twenty-one you boys aren't teenagers anymore but I heard rumours that Amy cheated on you a few years ago and that's why you broke up… now if that's true boy… you need to talk to her."

"Fuck her… I don't ever want to speak to her ever again… she's dead to me." Matt hissed once again, his ego speaking up for him as he tried to act like he didn't care no more. He was hurting but he still cared and he did want to speak to Amy but she cheated. She was in the wrong and she was the one that broke them up. Why should he speak to her?

"Now boy don't say things like that… you've experienced death first hand and once someone's gone they ain't ever coming back… whether you like it or not you know you need to talk to her and if you can't forgive her then you stay split up but you need some closure or you'll never move on…" JBL was always wise and behind his southern accent (which was still present no matter how long he had stayed in New York for) there was always a deeper message. Unfortunately for JBL that deeper message was not what Matt wanted to hear at that moment.

"Fuck that… You know what you're right I'm going to leave people to clean up their own messes, fuck Amy if she wants to disappear then thank the Lord, Mary and Joseph she's doing me a favour and if Jeff wants to party his way to rock bottom then let him! I'm focusing on myself and cleaning up my own mess!" Matt jumped up off the sofa.

"Where you going boy?" JBL tried finding out where Matt was going to go but just rolled his eyes as the raven-haired young man went out the door.


	2. 2 Years Later

**A/N SO IN THIS STORY I'LL BE USING VARIOUS LYRICS OF ARTISTS - LETS JUST PRETEND THAT IT'S JEFF'S SONGS BECAUSE I REALLY CBA MAKING UP LYRICS OF MY OWN AHAHA IT'S AU AFTER ALL SO LETS JUST PRETEND YEAH?**

 **HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. READ & REVIEW I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER.**

 **DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE SUPERSTARS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. SONG LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'NEED SOME SLEEP - EELS'**

' _I need some sleep_

 _It can't go on like this_

 _I tried counting sheep_

 _But there's one I always miss_

 _Everyone says I'm getting down too low_

 _Everyone says you just gotta let it go_

 _I need some sleep_

 _It can't go on like this_

 _I tried counting sheep_

 _But there's one I always miss_

 _Everyone says I'm getting down too low_

 _Everyone says you just gotta let it go_

 _You just gotta let it go'_

2 years had gone by since the last time Jeff Hardy had seen or spoke to Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy or Amy Dumas. The young 23 year old rockstar had made quite a name for himself as the out of control, tortured soul rock artist who still wrote and performed songs about his ex-girlfriend. His first album he released as a solo artist were all directed at Trish - whether the song was angry and bitter or sad and full of regrets it had the blonde beauty's name all over it.

As he finished singing the last lyric of one of the song's from his first album on the Victoria Talks one of the most famous talk shows in America which was filmed in Los Angeles, the whole crowd erupted. Despite his bad boy reputation and drug problems he was doing better than ever with his music career as he was about to announce he was working on his second solo album. Nobody could deny the young-man's musical talents and that's was the only reason he was a multi-platinum artist. Raw talent.

"That was Jeff Hardy performing 'Need Some Sleep' from his first album 'Poetry in Motion'" Victoria smiled into the camera, the charcoal-haired women was a natural on the camera. "Welcome Jeff to Victoria Talks!"

The purple and blue haired man charmingly smiled at the host, his purple and blue hair tied in a bun at the back of his head with a purple bandanna on the top of his forehead. His stubble was designed with abstract patterns and his ears all pierced up and down the cartilage. Jeff had the typical rockstar look - dark clothes, tattoos covering every surface of his upper body. He was the classic rockstar cliche.

"Nice to be here Victoria… Thanks for having me!" Jeff played the camera well and even though he was always in tabloids for his outrageous and scandalous antics if you watched him in an interview you would forget every bad thing you had heard about him. He was really was the Charismatic Enigma.

"So Jeff you shot to fame when you formed a band with your brother Matt Hardy and his ex-girlfriend Amy Dumas which was called Team Xtreme…" Victoria announced the band name and the crowd went crazy. "I understand the break up of the band was very public and I know you're all taking your own journeys I mean your brother Matt is now a producer and owns his own record label while Amy has dropped from the public eye altogether and you are venturing into the world as a solo artist but I'm just asking not only for myself but for America as we are all dying to know… will we ever see a Team Xtreme reunion?"

Jeff chuckled shadily. "No Victoria you won't… I don't speak to any of my former band mates and honestly I don't plan on seeing them any time soon… I think because of how personal all our relationships were and how badly it ended I don't think our paths will ever cross again"

The audience let out a sad sigh along with Victoria. "Well thank you for honesty at least… Now Jeff what I do want to talk to you about is your first album and I understand you don't like to comment on your ex-relationship with Stratusfashion CEO and America's Sweetheart Trish Stratus but everybody is dying to know if the rumours are true about you writing the songs about your previous relationship?"

Jeff scoffed. "No way… I'm a rockstar… Trish was once a big part of my life but how lame would I have to be to dedicate an album to an ex… Life goes on baby!"

He was lying and everybody knew it.

"I'm not convinced Jeff it seems that since you actually broke up with your ex-girlfriend and high school sweetheart that you're life has begun to spiral down hill… you're infamous for taking drugs and partying with different women… it seems to me like you're a broken man since she left you…"

Victoria could see she had struck a nerve but this was what Victoria Talks was about. She didn't want the polished Jeff Hardy who knew how to win over America - she wanted the real Jeff Hardy. The tortured soul from his album and the headlines.

Jeff gritted his teeth before laughing off the comment. "I didn't realize you were a psychologist Victoria… I might hire you to be my shrink instead of the punk that I pay you seem much more qualified than him…"

"Well do you have anything to comment about Trish's new relationship with-"

"I don't want to talk about my ex-girlfriend, we're over she's not relevant in my life." Jeff cut off Victoria rudely as he began to grow impatient with the questions of his ex-girlfriend. He still loved Trish and he probably always would but he refused to tell anyone that. His whole 'I don't give a fuck' persona would be broken and he knew he would have to face his unresolved feelings. That wasn't something he was prepared for at the moment.

Victoria looked sympathetic towards the rockstar as her tone became more soft and serious. "The whole of America is worried about you Jeff… you have no stability in your life, you're always on tours or at parties or in the headlines for another superstar scandal… do you ever question your lifestyle choices or think about getting help?"

Jeff blew a raspberry with his tongue and started laughing. "Fuck that… my life's great… I've never been happier… now enough about my personal life… you see enough of that in the papers and magazines what I'm here to talk to you about today is to let everyone know I'm working on a new album and to stay locked Jeff Hardy isn't done just yet!"

" _Fuck that… my life's great… I've never been happier… now enough about my personal life… you see enough of that in the papers and magazines what I'm here to talk to you about today is to let everyone know I'm working on a new album and to stay locked Jeff Hardy isn't done just yet!"_

Trish sat in her office as the CEO of StratusFashion. It hadn't been easy getting the clothing company up and running but after two years of hard work the business had flourished and she was up there with the greats declared this generations Coco Chanel. Her company was taking in millions every month from her fashion lines, own brand makeup and perfume. Trish was proud of herself that she had gotten herself this far without her mothers name or business - everything Trish had achieved was through her own determination and never giving up.

The plasma screen TV that sat opposite Trish's desk turned off. Trish looked confused until she turned her head to see her personal assistant Melina Perez with the remote in her hand and Trish's breakfast and coffee. "You know you shouldn't be watching that…"

Melina had been working with Trish since she started the business, the two had known each other for a while from school but Melina had been at Trish's side since the start of the company when nobody wanted to put their name to the blonde 21 year old girl who had never run a business before in her life and nobody had confidence in her. Melina helped Trish with the company and was pretty much her right hand with anything that was considered business. She was loyal to StratusFashion.

"I know… it just came on… Did you hear what he said about me we all know that album was written about me… he's got some nerve I tell you!" Trish began to get infuriated - Jeff still had a hold over Trish even after two years of no contact. Seeing him in the tabloids, on her TV, the life he was living - it killed her inside when she heard him say how happy he was. Even when she knew he wasn't.

"Well forget about that heartbreaker… I have your breakfast made from your favourite NYC cafe poached eggs with hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon with an avocado on the side and a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice and I also have your soy caramel latte with extra foam." Melina smiled proudly as she placed the take out box on her desk with the bottle of orange juice while handing her the coffee straight away. "Now you're mom has tried ringing you three times but wouldn't leave a message with me she then went on to call me a few names I'm not quite willing to repeat back to you-"

"I've told you Melina you have to put your foot down don't take any of her shit… she'll eat you up alive if you show weakness… I would know she's been in my life for twenty-three years … well not constantly the odd guest appearance." Trish rolled her eyes at the mention of her mothers name. Since Trish had gained success with the brand StratusFashion; her mom was trying to worm her way back in Trish's life and although they could be civil and they had more of a relationship than previously Alice hadn't changed much as a person - she was still the controlling, manipulative bitch she had always been. Trish couldn't be bothered to hear her mom voice her unwanted opinion on how she should run her company.

"Yeah… After two years I'm handling her quite a bit better… now I also received a phone call of Adam Copeland - you know the reporter for OverTheEdge he wanted to schedule an interview with you."

"Ahhh yes… Adam Copeland… he was one of Amy's friends from her high school… he's doing alright for a Brooklyn kid… look at my schedule and arrange something with him I trust you will be able to squeeze him in somewhere…" Trish nodded as she sipped her coffee.

"No problem…" Melina was still reading her clipboard - she was probably the most organized person in Trish's life and Trish didn't know what she would do without her. "Also here's your mail… and just a reminder you have to be at the photoshoot for the new line at 1 o'clock…. Your driver will pick you up at quarter past 12 to ensure you get there on time… I know you have OCD with your timing… apart from that… I don't believe that there is anything else I need to remind you of… so if you need me I'll be at my desk."

"Thank you Melina… as always!" Trish smiled as she started to tuck into her favourite breakfast and looking through her mail. One handwritten card got her attention. She carefully opened the envelope trying not to ruin it completely as she noticed a wedding invitation.

' **JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD  
AND  
JILLIAN HALL  
INVITE YOU TO THE CEREMONY AND **

**CELEBRATION OF THEIR MARRIAGE'**

Trish frowned at the invitation - she was flattered she got an invite of her ex's uncle and they were quite close, he was one of the investors in her company and he checked up on Trish quite a lot in her darkest days when her and Jeff first broke up but the main point was that he was her ex's uncle and even though he may not have spoke for a while they were still family. Blood.

Jeff probably wouldn't turn up yet the possibility that he might was enough to get her palms sweaty and butterflies in her stomach. Well maybe not butterflies more like moths.

The phone rang on her desk which interrupted her train of thought. "Hello, Trish Stratus speaking…"

"Hi Trish… Shane McMahon is here to see you." Melina replied on the other end of the phone.

"Send him in Melina…" Trish always sounded professional when she was at work. She was starting to become all work and no play - parties she went too were always social status events and boring. The thought of JBL's wedding was quite intriguing it would be nice to go to an event she actually wanted to go to… but what if Jeff turned up?

"Hey beautiful... " Shane McMahon the older brother of Trish's best friend Stephanie smiled as he bought her a lovely bundle of red roses.

Shane and Stephanie although brother and sister were the biggest rivals in New York City, she probably hated him just as much Chris Jericho. Constantly competing for their mother and father's affection. When Shane and Trish first started dating just under a year ago Stephanie was far from happy - just one more person she had to compete with over Shane.

"Hey Prince Charming…" Trish smiled as she placed a peck on his lips and threw her arms around his neck before releasing him and taking the flowers, blushing slightly at her boyfriends' gesture. Everybody was shocked when Trish had began dating Shane as he was so different to her ex-boyfriend. Shane was always well-presented, sensibile and everything that Jeff wasn't. He treated Trish like a princess and they were New York's very own power couple. He was the CBO of McMahon Corporations soon to be heir and CEO of McMahon Corporations (much to Stephanie's dismay) and she was CEO of Stratusfaction. He was Mr Perfect. Despite all that they didn't have the passionate, intense love that she shared with Jeff. Maybe that was a good thing.

"I want to take you for lunch at 12… I feel like I haven't seen you all week… My dad's had me doing so much for the company this week I could really do with just spending some time with you." Shane pulled Trish back into a hug as she placed the roses in a vase on her desk as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry Shane… I can't I've got to be at a photoshoot for my new line! We can catch up tonight? You can come over to mine…" Trish bit her lip playfully as she traced her finger over his white shirt.

"I've got to fly to Miami… my dad is opening a nightclub and it's the grand opening… why don't you come with me?" Shane gently pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"I can't just leave I've got a busy day tomorrow… I'm sorry…" Trish pulled away from her boyfriend as she sat back down on the desk.

"Steph is supposed to be there? Have you spoke to her recently?" Shane frowned at Trish's response. Lately with their busy work schedules it was getting increasingly harder to spend time together but Shane loved Trish, he worshipped her and he didn't want to lose her.

"Not really… she's still not happy that we're dating… she told me she's staying away from New York for a while… you know she was really hurt when your dad decided to leave you control of McMahon corporations… she thinks because I'm dating you I'm automatically on your side!" Trish sighed as she threw the empty take out box and coffee cup in the bin leaving just the orange juice visible on her desk.

"Well she's not wrong… I mean you are on my side aren't you?" Shane was slightly offended by the comment Trish made - she was his girlfriend and not just some passing fling Shane could see her and him being married and settling down together.

"I'm not on anybody's side… You're my boyfriend and she's my best friend! I care about you both and I'm not involved in your stupid sibling rivalry!" Trish explained noticing the change in Shane's expression.

"Fair enough…" Shane shrugged as he spotted the invitation to the wedding and picking it up off of Trish's desk. "John Bradshaw Layfield is getting married… wow."

Trish half-smiled. "Yeah it's crazy right…"

Trish watched as Shane grabbed a pen sending the rsvp back. "Trish Stratus plus one will be attending…"

"What are you doing?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"We're going to the wedding!" Shane smiled.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Trish frowned.

Shane bit his lip, holding his tongue. He wanted to scream at her because he knew why she wouldn't want to go with him. A certain rockstar by the name of Jeff Hardy who was the nephew of John Bradshaw Layfield. An ex-boyfriend she won't let him cuss in front of her. An ex-boyfriend who no matter whether she admitted it or not - still had a hold over her. Shane knew that. He had developed a genuine hatred over the blue-haired boy. He went green everytime he even thought about the boy or heard his name.

"Why is Jeff going?" Shane replied bitterly.

"Maybe… Maybe not… but it's his uncle's wedding I don't want to go flaunting my new boyfriend to a place where his uncle is getting married… Matt might be there and whether or not their on good terms it's still Jeff's family… it's like rubbing his face in it…" Trish sighed.

"Why should you care? You've not been with him in two years? He has no problem flaunting his new conquests all over the newspaper and magazines and news…" Shane was a dignified man but the minute it came to Jeff Hardy he became a petty child.

"I'm not Jeff Hardy though am I…" Trish shrugged, rolling her eyes. Her and Shane never argued about anything apart from _him_. It wasn't often but this wasn't the first time Shane got himself worked up over her ex-boyfriend.

"Do you still love him?" Shane stroppily replied.

"We've been through this Shane…" Trish sighed. "I don't want to be with Jeff that's why I'm with you… because I want to be with you."

"You still haven't answered the question…" Shane sighed back at Trish - knowing she didn't have to answer the question. The truth was evident. She never stopped loving Jeff Hardy. He worried she never would.

"I don't need too…" Trish chuckled. "I love you and I'm with you and if it makes you feel better we'll go to the wedding together… I don't want to keep having the same argument with you about my ex… he's an ex for a reason Shane."

Trish softly kissed Shane and for a moment he felt slightly better. She still never answered the dreaded question.

" _Fuck that… my life's great… I've never been happier… now enough about my personal life… you see enough of that in the papers and magazines what I'm here to talk to you about today is to let everyone know I'm working on a new album and to stay locked Jeff Hardy isn't done just yet!"_

Matt laughed at his brothers interview as he watched the interview on his phone while he sat in his office. The band breaking up was a good move for Matt. After the day he left New York, he never looked back. He moved to Los Angeles and started producing music eventually starting his own label which was doing pretty good for somebody just starting out.

His newest client and recording artist Ashley Massaro was becoming a household name, her first album had great feedback and she had even just returned off a small tour.

Matt picked his mail up from the front desk before moving into his office. He looked at one piece of mail which was beautifully handwritten. The letter caught his deep brown eyes straight away. He opened the letter to find a wedding invitation :

' **JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD  
AND  
JILLIAN HALL  
INVITE YOU TO THE CEREMONY AND **

**CELEBRATION OF THEIR MARRIAGE'**

Matt hadn't seen JBL since VegasGate. He kept in contact often through social media and text messages, various phone calls here and there. He knew that JBL had been dating but was surprised that it had escalated into marriage.

New York - he hadn't been back in so long. He tried to erase all memory of his life in New York. Mostly because it reminded him of the relationship he had with Amy. He never tried to speak to her since the day they broke up after he found out about the one night stand with Adam. He focused on his work instead it helped him push Amy to the back of his mind but never truly forgetting the redheaded girl who had stole his heart from being a child.

"Hey rockstar…" Ashley walked in the office, her blonde hair highlighted with pink and black streaks and wearing her signature pink plaid skirt with a black crop top and pink fishnet long sleeve crop top over the black. Matt hated when she wore fishnet over her clothes… it reminded him too much of Amy; Ashley reminded him of her quite a lot. There was some distinct similarities between them but she wasn't Amy.

Matt chuckled. "I'm not a rockstar no more those days are long gone!"

"You're my rockstar." Ashley smirked as she sat on his knee at his desk and planted a long and passionate kiss on his lips.

Ashley and Matt started dating around three months ago - the first girl he had been with since his split from Amy. He liked Ashley, she was cool and they were on the same level. Although they weren't very serious they did enjoy each other's company. Matt didn't want things to mess with their work; one of life's rules don't mix business with pleasure.

Ashley looked at the letter in Matt's hand. "Who's this?"

"My uncle is getting married in New York…" Matt replied attempting to move away from the subject. He had no intentions of going back to New York whether his uncle was getting married or not. He enjoyed Los Angeles way too much. Mostly because he was far away from the crazy world of Manhattan's Elite.

"Well you're going aren't you?" Ashley raised an eyebrow as she grabbed the invitation out of his hand. "You get a plus one! We're totally going…"

Matt snatched the invitation back out of her hand and pushed her up from his knee as he placed the invitation back on his desk.

"No I'm not…" Matt's tone went slightly hostile. "It's drama… New York is drama!"

"Oh stop, you say you hate New York but have a picture of it's skyline framed in your office!" Ashley chuckled pointing at the framed picture in front of him.

"It's the people I'm not too fond off…" Matt sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's complicated Ashley, it will just open a can of worms if I go back there I don't think I can face it… I like it in LA…"

"It's one wedding Matt… then you'll be back in the city of dreams before you know it." Ashley chuckled and slightly snorted which Matt found insanely cute. "You can't run away from your past Matt besides you'll have me... what's the worst that could happen?"

Matt raised an eyebrow at Ashley as he chuckled nervously. She had no idea.

" _Fuck that… my life's great… I've never been happier… now enough about my personal life… you see enough of that in the papers and magazines what I'm here to talk to you about today is to let everyone know I'm working on a new album and to stay locked Jeff Hardy isn't done just yet!"_

Steph sat on a yacht in the middle of Cancun with Jeff Hardy's interview on the screen. She rolled her eyes. Stephanie had been very lowkey since her father had announced he was giving full control of his companies to Shane when he passed away and not splitting control down the middle between his children. She wasn't completely surprised - her parents had always favored her older brother over her. She could always see the disappointment in their eyes with her. They seen her as a socialite not a business women and never had faith that she could be more than that.

"He's such a jackass…" Chris hissed at the screen. He couldn't believe what he was hearing Jeff say about Trish. Chris would of called Jeff one of his friends at one point but he watched as the rockstar had spiralled out of control over the last few years in effect alienating himself from everyone.

"He's in denial…" Steph shrugged. "You can see he's still hurting…"

"He's feeling sorry for himself…" Chris fake yawned. "It's boring… by the way you're getting a bit boring now. Will you ever be going back to New York?"

"Fuck you." Steph glared at Chris.

"I'm joking but seriously Steph… you're having family troubles don't you think you should be somewhere else except from their rival's yacht…" Chris raised an eyebrow.

Stephanie climbed on top of his body before she started to kiss his neck. "You tell me?"

Chris began to moan lightly and Steph continued to kiss on his body before the the two helped each other undress.

Stephanie had been staying with Chris for the past month as she knew it was the one place where her family wouldn't be looking for her. The two got drunk on the first night and hooked up and before they knew it; a month had gone by.

This didn't change anything between them. They still hated each other. They just had really good sex. _Really_ good sex. Whether it was because their families were sworn enemies or because they had the whole forbidden-love (sex) thing going on it seemed to make things a lot more steamy than the usual rendezvous.

The two picked their clothes up and got dressed. Stephanie went into the bedroom before picking up her bags.

"I was only joking about you going back to New York y'know?" Chris chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at the brunette.

"As much as I hate to say it you were right I should be somewhere else…" Steph goes to leave the boat and turned around scowling at the blond boy in front of her. "I still hate you by the way…"

"I wouldn't have it any other way princess." Chris smirked as he watched Stephanie strut her way off of the boat.


	3. 6th Sense

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS AND NOT MYSELF! LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'BLACK DAHLIA - HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD'**

 **A/N - READ AND REVIEW I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER! REALLY APPRECIATE TRISHORTON & FOR THE REVIEWS SO FAR! THANK YOU I HOPE YOU CAN STICK WITH THE STORY BECAUSE IT'LL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER LOL HERE'S CHAPTER 3 :-)**

After the talk show interview Jeff had one more show to perform an exclusive concert in The Greek Theatre. He was on his last song of the night a song which was undeniably about Trish. He stood on stage as he started to sing the final song of the night taking a deep breathe - the song hurt him he wrote it not long after he broke up with Trish. He was angry, he was hurt and he couldn't take the responsibility that he was actually the reason they broke up. He blamed Trish for giving up on him and not standing by him in his hour of need.

' _I loved you, you made me, hate me_

 _You gave me hate, see?_

 _It saved me and these tears are deadly_

 _You feel that I rip back, every time you tried to steal that_

 _You feel bad, you feel sad?_

 _I'm sorry, hell no fuck that_

 _It was my heart, it was my life, it was my start, it was your knife_

 _This strife, it dies, this life and these lies_

 _And these lungs, have sung, this song, for too long,_

 _And it's true, I hurt too, remember I loved you'_

Trish had spent all day at the photoshoot spending longer than planned. It had been such a stressful day and she couldn't get Jeff's words from the interview out of her head. Why did she care what her ex-boyfriend said? Why did she care if he didn't care anymore? Why was she even thinking about the situation when she had a perfect man by her side.

After the photoshoot, the model and face of StratusFashion Torrie Wilson invited her for a drink. Normally Trish would say no - she wasn't much of a big drinker. Today was different.

They sat in the bar of her stepfather's hotel - The Codebreaker. It reminded Trish of when her and Chris used to get illegally drunk in high school. A much simpler time - well not really her life was just as fucked up then. She missed Chris who was off just being the playboy billionaire that he was. She missed Steph but she knew how stubborn she could be, she had disappeared from New York when she heard the news about Shane getting full control of the company but even when she was in New York they barely spoke like they used too and Steph blamed that on her relationship with Shane. Trish's life had changed so much in two years and for some reason today it hit her more than usual.

"Earth to Trish?" Torrie waved her hands dramatically in front of Trish who was obviously preoccupied in her mind. Torrie was taller and skinnier than Trish who was more curvy. Both girls were blonde but Trish was more of a golden blonde with hair that fell just below her shoulders while Torrie's hair was icy blonde and half way down her back. "What did you think of the photos then I know it took a while but I think they turned out great in the end… that photographer was a piece of work though he was really annoying but I guess it all worked out in the end!"

Trish smiled half-heartedly nodded along to the words Torrie was saying.

"Okay what's up with you!" Torrie sighed. "It's not that Jeff Hardy interview was it?"

Torrie was also in Trish's year in high school and the two were friend she had witnessed first hand the epic love story between the two teenagers. Even if they didn't go to the same high school the whole world knew how much Jeff and Trish loved each other - that's why Jeff was still being questioned about their relationship two years later.

"No…" Trish sighed. "It's not just that I don't know it's everything I guess… I've not seen Chris in however long and I know it's not unusual for him to go missing for months on end but I'm just missing him that's all… then there's Steph who I'm not even sure is my friend anymore since I've been dating Shane it's all just weird with us… I don't know so much has been changing recently…"

"Yeah it's called growing up honey…" Torrie shrugged. "It's like me and Joy Giovanni… I've not seen her since graduation, she moved to LA and I'm happy for her but it doesn't mean I don't miss my friend!"

Torrie and Joy were best friends just like Stephanie and Trish were best friends. Joy moved to Los Angeles and never contacted Torrie again.

"I know I guess I just thought some people would be in my life forever…" Trish sighed as she downed the rest of her pornstar martini.

"They are always in your life…" Torrie smiled sadly. "They will live in your heart forever…"

 _I've, lost it all, fell today, it's all the same_

 _I'm sorry oh , I'm sorry, I'm sorry, no_

 _And I've, been abused, I feel so used, because of you_

 _I'm sorry oh , I'm sorry, I'm sorry, no_

Stephanie got off of her private jet landing in Miami. She hated to admit it but Jericho was right. She was hiding and feeling sorry for herself - it was boring. She was Stephanie McMahon. She was the life and soul of any party. She didn't ever mope around and act hopeless. That wasn't her style. No matter how much it hurt her that her parents didn't believe in her. She knew she would play the game. She had been competing with Shane her whole life - why stop now?

After getting changed in the plane. Stephanie was wearing a beautiful red cocktail dress, suiting her figure perfectly while she had styled her hair into a beautiful side bun and her make up looking very natural apart from the winged liner and killer stand out red lips. Stephanie was making a statement with the red theme - she was dangerous. Her family should never forget that.

Stephanie jumped into the limousine that was waiting at the airport for her before she eventually arrived at the club which her father had named Vince's Devils. Paparazzi went crazy for the arrival of the youngest McMahon as she flashed her billion dollar smile.

"Steph what are you wearing?" A paparazzi screamed out as she strutted down the red carpet.

"Dolce Gabbana from head to toe." Stephanie smiled as she posed for more pictures.

She continued to strut down to the club entrance seeing her brother, mother and father standing in front of her. Their fake smiles evident for the camera's - Steph knew how to play her role in her family. Events like these were all family based to make themselves look the perfect family which couldn't be more from the truth. Maybe if Steph wasn't in the picture. But she was. Her attendance of the club night was just prove they wouldn't be able to push her out that easy.

"Hello Stephanie…" Her mother's voice bemused at the overconfident brunette in front of her who was obviously being extremely dramatic with her entrance as usual.

"Hello mother dearest!" Stephanie exclaimed as she kissed her mom on both cheeks. "And father how I have missed you!"

Stephanie turned to hug her father who returned the hug half-heartedly.

"And my lovely brother Shane how have you been? No hard feelings right." Stephanie smirked sarcastically before embracing her brother in a close hug. "Well what are we waiting for let's enjoy the opening I couldn't think of anywhere else I would like to be right now!"

Stephanie leaded the family into the new club which had a 1920's vibe. It was spectacular inside the red velvet curtains and glass panels with the flappers dancing all around. It was very high class and definitely fit the Miami vibe.

Vince grabbed Stephanie subtly pushing her into the side. "I want you on your best behaviour tonight Steph don't embarrass me!"

"I would never do such a thing father…" Steph smiled back sarcastically. "I'm always on my best behaviour."

Stephanie strutted off from her family as she began to down a flute of champagne that was being handed around. Once one was finished she began to down another one, smiling at her family who were looking worried about the socialite.

"I invited her for decoration I didn't think she would actually come…" Linda still fake smiling as she whispered into her husband's' ear.

"Don't worry about her… I've warned her." Vince joining his wife while fake smiling to one another.

"Yeah because that's stopped her before…" Shane rolled his eyes before making his way towards his sister who was on her fourth glass of champagne by now. "Don't you think you should slow down…"

"Hello… Shane… my lovely brother." Stephanie smiled cunningly. "How's my best friend I've not seen her in forever…"

"Don't do this here Steph…" Shane muttered to Steph pleading with his sister who looked unfazed by their environment or surroundings.

"Don't do what?" Stephanie giggled to herself this time necking down her fifth glass of champagne.

"That's enough Steph…" Shane snarled as he took her sixth glass of champagne out of her hand.

"Well you know what I thought you being the golden child was enough for you but no you just had to go and start dating my best friend as well because god forbid somebody loves me more than you… that just can't happen now can it?!" Stephanie's chuckle was mischievous and taunting the older sibling.

"Trish loves you I didn't take her off anybody… she misses you!" Shane did miss his sister but he knew deep down when he started dating Trish she would have an issue with it. He didn't care. He thought Trish was different to the other girls he had been with and he knew she was a keeper, Stephanie just didn't give herself a chance to get use to them.

"Well I don't know about that but I do know she misses Jeff Hardy!" Stephanie giggled as she hit every nerve in Shane's body as Shane stepped closer to his little sister his father intervened.

"Leave it Shane… I'll take care of this!" Vince demanded as Shane stormed off into the male toilets. Vince aggressively grabbed Stephanie's arm and pulled her into his office. "You spiteful little bitch why did you even come here!"

Stephanie didn't absorb any of her fathers screaming instead unperturbed by her father's harsh voice and words she smiled deviously. "What do you mean daddy? We're one big happy family remember? You did send out an invite didn't you? You wanted me to be here right?"

"I wanted to put all of this behind us!" Vince exclaimed.

"No you didn't!" Stephanie scoffed. "You never wanted me to come but you sent the invite to challenge me and guess what I've never stepped back from a challenge yet. You never believed in me and you never seen me more than a stupid socialite!"

Vince began to chuckle. Stephanie raised an eyebrow at her father. "You have just proved to me once again that I made the right decision! You're childish, you're immature and you act on emotion. I wouldn't give you the chance to fail my company and ruin my legacy like you did every time you have fucked that Jericho boy in the last month…"

Stephanie taken back by her fathers word looking shocked that she knew this information.

"...You think I didn't know? You think you're really that lowkey? I have eyes and ears everywhere Stephanie… do you think I'm going to let a slut like you taint the McMahon name."

Stephanie felt anger rush through out her body as she slapped her father with every bit of force she had in her and began to bark back at him. "Fuck you!"

"Security!" Vince screamed.

"Don't bother I'll go by choice…" Stephanie snarled one more time before leaving through the back of the club.

' _I wish I could have quit you, I wish I never missed you_

 _And told you that I loved you, every time I fucked you_

 _The future that we both drew, and all the shit we've been through,_

 _Obsessed with the thought of you, the pain just grew and grew._

 _How could you do this to me?_

 _Look at what I made for you, it never was enough and the world is what I gave to you_

 _I used to be love struck, now I'm just fucked up,_

 _Pull up my sleeves and see the pattern of my cuts'_

Chris sat on his yacht as the stars of the night lit up the sea. As soon as Stephanie left Chris got his little black book out and decided to have a bit of a party but honestly… he was bored. He stood on the deck of the yacht as he smoked a joint. It was something he did all the time but certain times he would smoke one or two joints just to chill out.

One of the girls he was partying with followed him up. She had bright platinum blonde/white hair with obvious hair extensions in but despite all the makeup and extensions you could still see she was naturally pretty.

"What are you doing out here… the party's inside?" The unknown female smirked playfully drawing on the man's chest with her finger.

"Not in the mood for partying." Chris shrugged.

"Well then why did you call us?" The unknown female giggled.

"Errr… I don't know." Chris chuckled back at the pretty girl.

"Oh honey… you're lonely." She continued to analyze the man in front of her.

"Sorry I didn't plan on Dr Phil coming to the party…" Chris raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"You're the only party pooper here…" She playfully stuck her tongue out. "Look handsome… I think whatever it is you're looking for isn't on this yacht."

As Chris took a minute to digest the words the young women was saying to him he come to the conclusion that for a girl who didn't look like she had a clue about anything she was right.

"You know you're right…" Chris smirked. "What's your name?"

"Maryse…" The woman smiled at the man in front of her. "I'm always right…"

"Well I'm Chris… hey Maryse could you do me a favour?"

"Yeah of course…"

"Get all these bitches of my yacht…"

"My pleasure." Maryse smiled before heading down to end the party.

' _And I've, lost it all, fell today, it's all the same_

 _I'm sorry oh , I'm sorry, I'm sorry, no_

 _And I've, been abused, I feel so used, because of you_

 _I'm sorry oh , I'm sorry, I'm sorry, no'_

JBL's townhouse no longer felt as lonely with the presence of his fiancée Jillian. The two had been dating for a year and a half and recently got engaged. She was a doctor and they met when he was in hospital for a general check up - it was love at first sight. He knew straight away that this was the one that he'd been waiting for.

JBL had never been lucky in love. He had spent years dating different girls and he was never short of a sexual partner but unfortunately he had never had that spark with anybody. Within minutes of meeting Jillian the two connected and had the spark. She was smart and beautiful, fair hair, dazzling baby blue eyes. She was slightly younger than him at 30 years of age but she was definitely wise beyond her years. She was perfect to him. He hit the jackpot with her.

The two snuggled up together on their sofa while watching old sitcoms and laughing at the corny jokes together when they heard a buzz at the door. They both looked confused at one another as they weren't expecting visitors and anybody hardly ever came to JBL's house.

JBL opened the door.

"H-h-h-h-help m-m-meee…" Amy stood in front of JBL with bruises, cuts and blood all over her face and body. Her eyes were black and she had a bust lip as she fainted on the floor.

' _Seems like all we had is over now you left to rest_

 _And your tears are dried up now, you just lay without a sound_

 _Seems like all we had is over now, you left to rest_

 _And my fears are over now_

 _I can leave with my head down'_

Trish sat in her penthouse suite as she examined the view of New York City. She really did love that city it was her home and she felt grateful to have lived in New York and the memories she made from here.

She had one too many pornstar martinis and was feeling sentimental as she darted to her bed room and looked in the drawers underneath her king size bed. The drawer was filled with lacy bras and knickers and stockings and then underneath she picked up an old louboutin box.

She opened the shoe box and poured its content on to her neatly made bed. She smiled as she looked at pictures from her high school years. Her and Steph in their uniforms posing together with their red bottoms evident in the picture. Trish and Stephanie would be the only freshman to have louboutins on their first day marking their spot in the high school social ladder.

Trish looked and noticed a picture at her mom's wedding with Chris Jericho's dad. Trish stood in her bridesmaid dress while Chris stood in his tux. The two hated each other at this point thinking they wouldn't ever accept each other into their family. How wrong they were.

Trish scanned through a few more pictures from high school parties and classes and other events that highlighted her teenage years before she found a picture from her cotillion ball the social event of any girl who was to live on the upper east side.

Trish's mother Alice had done everything to get Trish and Jeff to split up and didn't want her daughter escorted by someone like Jeff Hardy. Instead pushing her towards her ex-boyfriend John Cena whom Trish dated before Jeff. Jeff defied her mother and showed everyone from Sacred Hearts, The Upper East Side and pretty much the whole of New York that he loved Trish Stratus and she was his woman. The picture showed the two of them dancing together and sharing a kiss.

"Hey…" Shane appeared out of nowhere in Trish's bedroom. Trish quickly moved the pictures back into her louboutin box.

"Hey baby what are you doing here I thought you was in Miami?" Trish smiled as she quickly pushed her box back into the drawer underneath her bed.

"I was… Stephanie turned up and there was a lot of drama and I just wanted to be with my woman…" Shane smiled as the two shared a kiss. Shane still curious looking at the drawer underneath Trish's bed. "What was you doing?"

"Just looking at some pictures of me and Steph from high school actually…" Trish smiled but Shane didn't look convinced by her story. She wasn't exactly lying… she wasn't telling the whole truth that's all. "How is she? Does she still hate me?"

"Yeah she kinda hates everyone…" Shane chuckled taking his shoes off and his shirt and started kissing Trish passionately attempting to turn her on.

Trish kissed back until he started unbutton her blouse. "Shane… Shane… stop… I've had a long day…"

Shane looked at Trish hurt that she told him to stop.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean that… I just mean I'm really tired and I have to be up super early tomorrow for this important meeting and I'm just really stressed." Trish sighed.

"Well let me destress you." Shane smirked one more time before he started kissing her again and went to take her blouse off one more time.

"Shane I said I'm not in the mood!" Trish pushed him off of her.

"You've been acting weird all day… is this to do with that Jeff Hardy interview?" Shane decided to press the matter further unable to get the blue haired druggie out of his head. He was beginning to grow impatient with Trish over her ex boyfriend.

"No it's nothing to do with him… what is your problem!" Trish yelled back at Shane.

"My girlfriend doesn't want to fuck me that's my problem." Shane yelled back at Trish who looked down when he raised her voice back. "I'm sick of this shit Trish you see a headline about Jeff or an interview and you go messed up for days. I'm sick of sharing you with Jeff Hardy."

"Get out my penthouse!" Trish screamed in his face. "Get out now!"

' _And I've, lost it all, fell today, it's all the same_

 _I'm sorry oh, I'm sorry no_

 _And I've, been abused, I feel so used, because of you_

 _I'm sorry oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry no_

 _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_

 _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_

 _I'm sorry, no'_

The crowd exploded as Jeff bowed and went backstage to his dressing room where R Truth was snorting a line up his nose with a few other people having a party. "You killed it as usual homie… I got the crowd warmed up for you tho"

Jeff chuckled before he took a seat on the leather sofa and made a line of his own. He took the 100 dollar bill as he rolled it up and put it in his nostril inhaling the white powder. "That's good shit man… now fuck this place let's go party…"

Jeff and R Truth made their way through the arena before getting in the blacked out limousine. While they were on the way to the club, they had a few more lines, dropped an ecstasy tablet and drank a whole lot of liquor. They were practically flying by the time they reached the club.

They went to the club straight into the VIP bit and began partying. It was a high end nightclub with half-naked dancers and strobe lights, the music was echoing through the huge space. The two friends began taking shots of girls belly buttons and their celebrity status automatically attracted women to them like a magnet.

Jeff was pretty fucked up but he was enjoying himself, until he saw a familiar face across the VIP area. At first he thought it was the drugs making him trip but when the figure began to walk over to him he knew he wasn't.

"Hey baby brother…" Matt shyly greeted his estranged brother. His girlfriend Ashley standing behind him knowing all about the brother's past.

"What the fuck you doing here?" Jeff chuckled, the room was spinning to him but he was rolling with it enjoying the high. He didn't want to fight Matt in fact he was happy to see him. Jeff hugged his brother to Matt's shock. "Long time bro"

"You're fucked…" Matt sighed.

"Yeah that's what it about brother…" Jeff laughed. "Nice to see you're over Amy."

Matt winced when he heard his ex's name come out of his brother's mouth. Matt looked at Ashley who stood beside him. "Jeff… this is Ashley… my friend"

Ashley wasn't too pleased with the introduction to her supposed boyfriends brother. They hadn't been dating long but he was still her boyfriend. They were exclusive.

"Ouch…" Jeff noticed the face on Ashley and laughed. "Guess you're not over Amy then…"

"Man fuck Amy…" Matt growled. "It's JBL's wedding… here's the invitation I don't know why he sent it me I swear sometimes the man has a sixth sense."

Matt passed Jeff the invitation that was addressed to him and just slammed it in his jacket. Jeff's pupils were huge and he looked like he didn't know what day it was.

"Look after yourself man…" Matt sighed and shook his head before taking Ashley and leaving the club.

Jeff was super fucked. Once Matt left he continued partying with R Truth and the two were having a crazy night. The club closed at 3am and they made their way to the local strip club.

Jeff paid for a private dance and sat waiting while a tanned brunette began to dance on a pole. His head was in the clouds and he could barely see straight and just as he was beginning to enjoy the dance…

"Oh my fucking god!" The brunette screamed as she was about to jump on his knee. "Jeff Hardy!"

Jeff recognized the voice and snapped back into reality for a second. "Joy Giovanni? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"You can't tell anybody you seen me!" Joy threw a robe over her. "I can't believe this is happening what the fuck…"

"Wait why are you here?" Jeff still high of the drugs tried to make sense of this situation. Last time Jeff had seen Joy she was graduating from high school ready to make a name for herself in Hollywood and become the next big thing.

"Reality… That's why I'm here… I'm not like Chris Jericho, I'm not a McMahon or your precious Trish Stratus… I didn't have a name for myself before I came to LA and becoming an actress isn't as easy as it looks…" Joy sighed as she looked down at red painted toe nails.

"So you became a stripper?" Jeff scoffed.

"It's good money for people who don't have trust funds…" Joy shrugged.

"Well that's cool and all… but what about my dance?" Jeff smirked as he threw a bunch of hundreds at the nicely tanned and petite brunette in front of him.


	4. Empire Of Dirt

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED. THEY BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS AND NOT MYSELF. LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'HURT - JOHNNY CASH'**

 **READ AND REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER.**

JBL sat in the hospital waiting room when Jillian came back out. "Amy is going to be fine… she's not as bad as she looks… she only has one broken rib."

"Jillian have you seen her face? That's not fine!" JBL sighed.

"Yes I know but I thought she would've had a broken cheekbone possibly broken jaw but it's just bruising… she has a broken rib which will heal in around 6 weeks…" Jillian sighed. "She's going to be fine honey."

Jillian kissed JBL lightly on the lips, stressed as he rubbed his hands over his. "Well can I see her? I mean what is she doing here? She's been missing for two years…"

"She wouldn't tell me anything or any of the other doctors for that matter whatever happened she doesn't want to speak…" Jillian shrugged. "Maybe you're better speaking to her… she knows you."

JBL nodded as his fiancée smiled sadly at him. JBL opened the door to Amy's room as she stared blankly at the television across from her. "Hey Amy… You only have a broken rib which is good… I guess…"

Amy continued to stare at the television, not moving a muscle. JBL continued to examine her face which was badly beaten.

"Amy what happened to you?" JBL sighed as Amy continued to avoid his stare and ignore his questions. "I can't help you if you don't answer me… maybe I should call Matt?"

"No!" Amy shouted hearing her ex's name. "You can't call Matt… I'm not his problem anymore…"

"You need to tell me what's happened to you Amy!" JBL sighed. "You've turned up on my doorstep, bruised, bleeding and cut and asking for my help. You may not be Matt's problem anymore but you are definitely my problem."

Amy began to ignore her ex's uncle once again as her fixed on the television.

"Where have you been? Nobody has seen you for two years!" JBL pleaded with Amy to know the answers. He always liked Amy and knew her from being a little girl. He knew her before he was rich. He watched the redhead grow up. She was basically family. "Amy please…"

"I've been fine honestly…" Amy gulped as she sat up and faced JBL. The pain evident on her facial expression every time she moved position. "When me and Matt broke up… I just needed to get away… so I went travelling… I volunteered in different places… I felt like such a horrible person for cheating on Matt and I thought I'd try and do some good in the world instead. It was all great up until about six months ago… I met some guy from Washington when I was in Brazil and we were both volunteers. I liked him and we got along and I came back to the states with him about 3 months ago. When we got the states it all changed he started turning possessive and started being very controlling. I ended up trying to leave him and he caught me and he kept finding me in every town I went and then I thought I need to get back to New York and when I went to my old house… he was there… waiting for me… he tried to strangle me and beat me til I couldn't breathe… I don't know why he stopped but he did and he went… I knew I needed to go somewhere and you was the first person that came to my mind… I tried to get a cab but nobody would take me because of how bad I looked… so I walked to yours and I must have passed out when I got there… I'm sorry JBL I didn't mean to get you involved in this but I didn't know where else to go!"

"You don't need to be sorry Amy… you're family… regardless of what happened between you and Matt... you can stay with me and Jillian until you get better and find somewhere safe to stay." JBL smiled sadly trying to keep Amy's spirit up as she began to cry.

"Please don't tell Matt…" Amy sobbed. "You can't tell him I'm in New York please…"

' _I hurt myself today_

 _To see if I still feel_

 _I focus on the pain_

 _The only thing that's real_

 _The needle tears a hole_

 _The old familiar sting_

 _Try to kill it all away_

 _But I remember everything'_

Jeff awoke in his hotel room to hear another one of his songs playing on the radio. His head was hurting from the night before and from what he could remember it was a crazy night. Blurry flashbacks rushed to his head. Did he see Matt last night? What the fuck happened?

Jeff raised an eyebrow as he saw Joy Giovanni sleeping naked next to him, he pushed the quilt duvet off of him to find himself naked also. What the fuck was she doing here? What the fuck happened last night? Like seriously? What the fuck?

"Fuuuck…." Jeff sighed as he put his hand on his face. This wasn't good. His memories from the night before came flooding in. He remembered the nightclub, seeing Matt being introduced to Ashley, going to the strip club with R Truth, getting a dance of Joy without realizing it's Joy then finding out she was actually a stripper and her acting career didn't take off as well as she thought and then the two ended up back at his hotel… I think you can all figure out what happened next. "Fuck.. Fuck.. Fuck…"

The first person who came to mind was Trish - yeah he had fucked a whole bunch of bitches while they were split up and yeah she was with Steph's older dorky brother but Joy and Trish used to be friends. They all knew each other from high school. They were apart of the same friendship group. He knew that he had just took it to another level…

"Fuck… fuck… fuck… fuck…" Jeff continued to mutter under his breath as he entered the bathroom and stood in the shower attempting to wash away his sins. "Fuck… fuck… fuck…"

He got out the shower with a towel around his waist when he went back into the hotel room as he watched Joy put on her clothes from yesterday. "Fuck…" She muttered.

"Yeah… Glad we're on the same page…" Jeff sighed as he rubbed the back of his head and took to advil with a bottle of water. "You don't want people knowing you're a stripper… I don't want Trish finding out I slept with her friend from high school…"

"Trish dumped you remember why would she care?" Joy scoffed.

"Because if I have any chance of getting her back she can't know I fucked you Joy… you were good friends… aint that against girl code or some shit?" Jeff shrugged.

"And here was me thinking you were over her? Somebody was lying on Victoria Talks" Joy raised an eyebrow provocatively as Jeff glared back at her in which Joy responded with a playful pout. "I'm joking Jeff… She'll hate me forever… but you have no chance with Trish anymore… you made your choice… she's with Shane McMahon who's got his shit together why would she want to be with you?"

"Are you going to tell her?" Jeff hissed hurt by her words.

"No…" Joy sighed. "Are you going to tell anyone you seen me?"

"No.." Jeff shook his head. "I don't want to see you ever again Joy…"

"Done deal". The tanned brunette smiled sarcastically before leaving the hotel room.

R Truth running in to Jeff's hotel. "Homie what a crazy night! I can't believe you fucked Joy Giovanni man I heard you two going at it she was lovin it homeboy… didn't she go to your school or somet? Man Trish would be pissed I mean she's hot"

"You can't say shit man…" Jeff hissed.

"I'm not gonna bruh… " R Truth held a hand up to high-five his friend. Jeff shook his hand as R Truth slowly dropped his hand down.

' _What have I become_

 _My sweetest friend_

 _Everyone I know goes away_

 _In the end_

 _And you could have it all_

 _My empire of dirt_

 _I will let you down_

 _I will make you hurt'_

Trish's morning was already super stressful and it was only 11AM. She had been in a meeting since 8AM, received plenty of phone calls of her mother, she was running behind schedule for the day and everything was beginning to get on top of her.

The phone rang on her desk. "Trish you have a visitor…" Melina spoke softly down the phone.

"I've not got the time today Melina!" Trish snapped back down the phone.

"Well make time…" Trish looked up to find her step-brother stood in front of her. Trish's jaw dropped as she bounced up out of her chair and ran over to him, jumping up and hugging him to which Chris just chuckled.

"Anybody would think you like me or somet…" Chris teased.

"What are you doing here dipshit!" Trish's professional office voice went out the window as she greeted her step-brother still hugging him. "You're really here in New York!"

"Yeah I guess I am…" Chris laughed as he continued to hug Trish back. "Are you free for some lunch? I've missed your disgustingly fat head."

Trish smirked and punched him in his arm. "I don't know… I'm really running behind schedule already I'm super stressed and-"

"Is somebody on their period?" Chris laughed.

Trish's face screwed at the comment, punching him a little bit harder this time.

"Okay I get it no period jokes… ever." Chris rubbed his arm still laughing.

"Trish I've pushed all you appointments back an hour…" Melina announced. "I guess you'll be able to grab some lunch since you haven't ate anything all day…"

"So you are free after all… now Trish I know I called you fat a lot in high school that doesn't mean you have to starve yourself… some men are into chubby girls." Chris continued to tease his sister.

"Fuck you!" Trish screamed a little bit louder than intended as the office turned to look inside her office. Trish could've died of embarrassment. She was the CEO and had to remain professional at all times and screaming curse words in the office wasn't classed as professional.

Chris began to laugh harder as he noticed the blonde turn red. "C'mon let's get out of here thunder thighs."

Trish and Chris left StratusFashion head office as they took a walk through the streets of New York City. Trish was over the moon to see her annoying step brother, he had been MIA for a few months and she knew he would be okay and he went off the radar from time to time but she really needed his support at the moment. She could feel herself being consumed by her thoughts and was close to breaking down.

"So how've you been…" Chris asked as Trish walked by his side. "Truthfully…"

"Truthfully? I don't know… the last few days my head's been up my ass." Trish confided in Chris, she could be honest with him about anything and she loved their bond. No matter what he was always there for her when she needed him it was like he had a radar when she was upset, he would come back into her life to help fix her problems.

"You have a pretty big ass to be honest so that would be possible…" Chris teased receiving a nipple twist through his tee by Trish in the process. "I'm sorry I'll stop with the fat jokes.. I'm sorry… ow… I said I was sorry…" Trish finally let go his nipple to which Chris started rubbing it. "So what's got you down kiddo… don't tell me it was the Jeff Hardy interview…"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Trish exhaled in frustration.

"Maybe because two years after you broke up you still let him get to you…" Chris raised an eyebrow as he said matter-of-factly.

"It's not just that it's everything… I don't know I miss you, I miss Steph, Jeff's probably gone worse since we broke up and I feel guilty for all of it…" Trish sighed.

"It's not your fault… look I'm cool I just do my own thing always have and always will… Steph.." Chris coughed when he said her name and began acting strange which was soon noticed by Trish. "Steph is just Steph… and Jeff isn't your problem no more…"

"I know that…" Trish agreed but sighed once again. "I just hate seeing him like this…"

"It's his own choice you can't help people who can't help themselves." Chris shrugged.

"What did you call Steph… by her real name?" Trish raised an eyebrow .

"Yeah… so?" Chris shrugged.

"You never call her Steph… you always call her Trash Bag Hoe…" Trish chuckled. "What's happened to you?"

"Maybe I've just grew up…" Chris shrugged once more avoiding eye contact.

"Oh my god have you seen Steph!" Trish gasped.

"What do you mean? No course not why would I have seen her?" Chris played it off cool but Trish could see right through his act. She knew him just as well as he knew her.

"Oh my god you have! What the fuck!" Trish was momentarily paralyzed by the information she had just received and was growing increasingly confused. "Why was you with Steph? You both hate each other?"

"Yeah we still do… let's not change the subject honey we was talking about your life not mine!" Chris replied defensively.

Trish chuckled deciding not to press him any further… not yet anyway.

"So are you still dating the Billion Dollar Dork?" Chris scoffed. He wasn't much of a fan of Shane… yeah their families hated each other but honestly he just thought he was way too boring to be with somebody like Trish Stratus.

"I'm not sure… we kinda had a fight last night… we've not spoken all day." Trish shrugged lightly as she gave Chris a slight half-smile. "He said he doesn't want to share me with Jeff Hardy…"

"Well he needs to get used to that…" Chris laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Trish frowned at her step brother.

"Y'know what that means…" Chris raised an eyebrow. "It means you will always love Jeff Hardy but … drugs and love don't mix… you either drop the drugs for what you love or you lose what you love for drugs… there's no in between and Jeff has made his choice… so just because you love Jeff it doesn't mean you want to be with him again..."

"Well is that fair on Shane?" Trish asked.

"That's upto Shane to decide. You and Jeff were together for 5 years… he's your first love and that is something Shane needs to get over it otherwise you won't ever be able to work." Chris nudgied Trish on the head. "Don't worry if Shane dumps you there's still a lot of other men who like fat girls!"

' _I wear this crown of thorns_

 _Upon my liar's chair_

 _Full of broken thoughts_

 _I cannot repair_

 _Beneath the stains of time_

 _The feelings disappear_

 _You are someone else_

 _I am still right here'_

Matt sat in the recording studio as he created a new melody. Since Jeff had mentioned Amy he couldn't stop thinking about her. Wondering how she was, where she was, who she was with and what she was upto. He never had a chance to speak to her when they split up and it was finally sinking in that he may never see Amy ever again in his life. The girl he grew up with, his friend, his girlfriend, his family.

He quickly shook of the thoughts letting his ego take over one more time. He wasn't the reason they weren't together anymore. She was. This was her fault. He wouldn't waste one more second worrying about Amy Dumas - or so he tried to convince himself.

"Hey you…" Ashley came in the recording studio. "I've been looking for you and when I seen you weren't in your office I kind of figured you'd be in here…"

"Hey Ash…" Matt replied before returning to composing his new beat.

"Matt I know we promised each other we would just see how things go between us but last night you introduced me as your friend… I mean is that how you see me as just a friend?" Ashley asked shyly as she kept her head down.

Matt looked at the girl as he used his hands so they looked into each other's eyes. "Ashley my brother is an asshole… I did you a favour… he was on god knows how many drugs… I mean you don't know my brother… he used to be a cool guy… but he's a piece of work now a days and I didn't want to bring you involved in that… we're still quite new to being couple I didn't want to scare you off…"

"Well your ex Amy… are you over her?" Ashley asked waiting for Matt's response.

"Yes… she cheated on me… don't let Jeff get in your head… he likes to do that to people." Matt kissed the blonde on her forehead.

' _What have I become_

 _My sweetest friend_

 _Everyone I know goes away_

 _In the end_

 _And you could have it all_

 _My empire of dirt_

 _I will let you down_

 _I will make you hurt'_

Amy, Jillian and JBL entered the town house. Amy felt bad she had just turned up and sprung herself on JBL but she had nowhere else to go. Her parents were off traveling the world now she was all grown up and she hadn't spoken to Trish since her and Jeff broke up, plus they were only really friends because they were dating the same brothers and Trish's best friend Stephanie hated her guts for no reason other than she was from Brooklyn and she was poor growing up. JBL was her only option left in New York.

"I'll go and make up one of the spare rooms… we rarely have visitors so it'll take me about fifteen minutes then I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa okay?" Jillian smiled at Amy.

"Thank you Jillian…" Amy half-smiled back at JBL's fiancée. Jillian went up the stairs and Amy looked at her ex's uncle who was smittened by the doctor. She could see why. "She's great really JBL… It's nice to see you happy… you deserve it."

"I'm the lucky one…" JBL smiled back at Amy. "I'm glad to see you Amy even if it's under these circumstances…"

Amy nodded and looked down at the floor as she sat down on the sofa, squinting at the pain.

"Y'know I really think you should let me phone Matt… I'm sure he would want to know what's happened… no matter what's gone on between you both you grew up together." JBL sighed.

"No you can't tell him…" Amy jumped in hesitance. Squinting once again at the pain. "He hates me JBL you should've seen the way he looked at me when Jeff told him… any love he had for me was definitely lost."

JBL shook his head at the redhead. "I don't believe that for one bit… he was angry and hurt but he will always love you and it's been two years since he last seen you… it'd be nice for you both to get closure you never really spoke about it from what I heard…"

"No JBL… I know it's asking a lot of you because it's your nephew and you raised them through their teenage years but I don't want Matt knowing I'm here… it's for the best… I just need to focus on getting better and then I'll be out of your hair…" Amy sighed. "Thank you for everything"

"I told you… you're family… family don't turn their back on each other no matter what may happen in life or between you and the boys you always have a roof over your head if I'm here!" JBL smiled as Amy smiled back.

' _If I could start again_

 _A million miles away_

 _I would keep myself_

 _I would find a way'_

Trish arrived at her penthouse after another long and stressful day but with the guest appearance from Chris Jericho she felt a lot better than she did the day before. No matter if he was a jackass, he was her jackass that would always be able to put things into perspective for her.

As she stepped out the elevator onto her floor, she was surprised to see Shane standing there with a bouquet of flowers and a balloon saying 'I'm Sorry…"

Trish couldn't help but smile as she looked at his apologetic face. "Shane…"

"No let me speak Trish… look I've been having some insecurities lately regarding your ex-boyfriend… in fact I've always had insecurities with your ex… he's wrote two fucking albums about you and you were together for five years… it's hard for me… but I also have come to realize I can't change your past all I can do is change your future… I know you and Jeff were up and down and complicated and I won't compete with him because I don't compare to him… we're different Trish we work… we don't argue most of the time and we don't stress each other out… excluding last night which was my own doing… all I'm saying is I know that you're with me now and you're my woman and I don't want to lose you because I do love you Trish… you're special." Shane smiled as handed her flowers. "Will you accept my apology?"

"I accept your apology if you accept mine?" Trish smiled taking the flowers out of Shane's hands. "Shane I'm going to be honest with you… A part of me will always love Jeff… he was my first love and I can't pretend like I don't care about him… but you have to trust me."

"You're right… I think it's just harder for me because you're the only person I've ever loved…" Shane smiled as he moved a piece of hair out of Trish's face and the two began to kiss. The two quickly escalated as they moved themselves into the bedroom.


	5. The Click

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS AND NOT BY MYSELF.**

 **READ AND REVIEW I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR THE WEDDING DRAMA! SO I MAY HAVE LIED ABOUT THE ENDING OF WHAT NOW? I HAVE COMPLETE WRITERS BLOCK WITH THAT STORY BUT I HAVE BEEN WRITING SO MANY CHAPTERS FOR THIS STORY THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD POST A NEW CHAPTER OF THIS... I WILL BE FLYING TOMORROW SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO POST FOR A FEW DAYS BUT I'M HOPING TO POST A FEW CHAPTERS WHILE I'M AWAY. IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM ME DON'T WORRY I WILL GET THIS STORY FINISHED I'VE ALREADY UPLOADED THE NEXT CHAPTERS ON MY DOC MANAGER SO YOU WILL GET A FEW MORE CHAPTERS WHEN I GET THE TIME.**

A month had gone by and it was the day of Jillian and JBL's wedding - due to Jillian's superstitions Jillian had told JBL to stay in a hotel the night before both decided to skip on any bachelor or bachelorette parties.

"Oh Amy I'm so excited!" Jillian jumped around her and JBL's living room like a little kid waking up on christmas. "I've been waiting my whole life to get married and the day is today! I can't believe it I feel like I'm dreaming.. Pinch me…"

Amy laughed. "I'd rather not…"

"I said pinch me!" Jillian shouted playfully.

Amy continued to laugh as she pinched Jillian.

"Yeah I felt that… it's definitely real!" Jillian smirked. "Amy are you sure you won't come? It would mean alot to both me and John!"

Amy's bruising and cuts were pretty much healed apart with nothing but faint marks left behind; nothing a bit of makeup couldn't hide. Amy shook her head at Jillian, she really wanted to however she knew it wouldn't be a good idea. "No… Matt wouldn't want to see me and I don't think Jeff would either for that matter I don't want anything to ruin your wedding…"

"Jeff hasn't even replied to the RSVP… and from what I've heard about Matt it's unlikely he'll cause a scene it might be good for you to see him you never know it might not be as awkward as you think…" Jillian was always the optimist where as Amy was definitely more of a realist.

"No honestly… I wish I could but I can't…" Amy sighed as the doorbell rang.

Jillian was cooking breakfast for herself and Amy. "Will you get the door Ames? I think it'll be my makeover crew it's going to take a lot to get this face ready for a wedding!"

"Don't be silly you're a natural stunner." Amy grinned as she opened the door as the door swung open the grin soon peeled off of her face. "Matt!"

Matt stood in shock as he his stomach began to turn into knots at the sight of Amy at the door of his uncles town house. What was she doing here?

Ashley was first stood behind Matt but soon stepped to his side and held his hand, smiling slyly at Amy recognizing exactly who she was. Jealousy began to creep through Ashley's veins.

"What are you doing here Amy?" Matt snarled. "Where's JBL?…"

"He stayed at The Codebreaker last night…" Amy replied shyly and feeling her heart hurt a little bit as Ashley held Matt's hand proudly. "I'm here because-"

"- Because John and I invited her to the wedding…" Jillian smiled. "You must be Matt and you are…"

"This is Ashley… my girlfriend." Matt introduced Ashley to Jillian. He had a million questions and a million emotions running through out his body but this was the first time he had even met Jillian and didn't want to ruin her special day with unresolved issues - it wasn't the time nor the place. "I guess we'll just go to The Codebreaker and find JBL… I'll see you at the wedding Jillian hopefully we can get to know each other there!"

"I'd like that very much Matthew… He's staying in room 1143." Jillian smiled as Matt and Ashley walked down the steps of her and JBL's townhouse and jumped into a taxi. Jillian turned to look at Amy who was still in shock. "You have to come now!"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish woke up next to Shane in her king size bed in her apartment. The two were better than ever in the last month and they felt stronger than they ever had before. "Wake up sleepy head… we have a wedding to go to!" Trish whispered in Shane's ear before planting a few kisses all around his face.

Shane had been staying at Trish's a lot more and the two were practically living together. They still had busy schedules but with them pretty much living together it didn't matter as much. They were happy and Trish was happy which was the main thing. She felt secure in her relationship and any thoughts about her past with Jeff Hardy had left her mind… well not entirely left her mind but rather pushed to the back of her mind.

"C'mon get up Shane… I love weddings." Trish yelled as she jumped on Shane and started bouncing on him as he woke up laughing.

"I love you.." Shane smiled as he admired the view of Trish in the morning.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

While arriving at The Codebreaker - Matt had noticed that Ashley had been extremely quiet the whole journey across New York. "Right what's up with you?" Matt sighed not in the mood to be dealing with one of Ashley's mood swings on the biggest day of his uncle's life. Secretly he already knew what was wrong with her… the same thing that was wrong with him...

Ashley rolled her eyes at Matt. "Maybe the fact your ex is just chilling with your soon-to-be-aunt-in-law in your uncle's house… You're supposed to be broke up and yet there she is with your family..."

"I didn't know Amy was going to be here…" Matt tried to explain to Ashley but her face said it all. "Besides she gets along with JBL… I can't stop them from knowing each other…"

"Well you said you were over her?" Ashley frowned.

"I am over her!" Matt began to raise his voice as he become extremely defensive..

"Not what it looked like to me…" Ashley threw her hands on her chest returning Matt's defensiveness as she stopped in the middle of the lobby.

"I was just as surprised to see her as you!" Matt began to lose his temper and get irritated. "This is the exact reason why I didn't want to come back to New York…"

"Matt Hardy what a somewhat pleasant surprise!" Chris Jericho rolled through the lobby as he greeted an old friend. The typical mischievous and famous Jericho grin that hadn't change in the time the two men had last seen each other.

"Chris Jericho the pleasure is all yours!" Matt joked back as the two had a brief hug. "Wow man I've not seen you in forever!"

"Yeah probably before the whole VegasGate situation… how've you been man?" Chris smiled genuinely happy to see Matt, the last time they did see each other was before Team Xtreme went on their tour. Somewhat simpler times.

"Yeah I'm good man… Living the LA Dream…" Matt smiled as Ashley coughed and interrupted the two friends reuniting. "Oh Chris… this is Ashley…"

Ashley looked bemused at the introduction.

"Oh hey nice to meet you… I'll see you later - you know how it'll be Codebreaker style" Chris winked as he began to jog out the door obviously in a bit of a hurry.

"Yeah I'll see you later…" Matt smiled. No matter what he said about being in New York being back reminded him of the good times when everybody was in high school. He had left the whole New York life behind him and being back was starting to remind him why he loved it so much at one point.

"See you didn't introduce me as your girlfriend then or when you seen Jeff in LA but you wanted to promote our relationship in front of your Ex…" Ashley was like a dog with a bone, she wasn't about to let it go.

Matt rolled his eyes, breathing in calmly. "Ashley… baby… you're really annoying me now… will you just let it go…"

Ashley continued to sulk as they went in the elevator upto JBL's hotel room and knocked on the door. JBL answered looking rather suave and very sophisticated in his tuxedo suit.

"Matt! I'm glad you made it!" JBL's face lit up like a christmas tree when he seen his nephew at his hotel room door.

"You told me you were going to be at yours?" Matt said as he pulled apart from a hug with his uncle.

"Oh I must've forgot to tell you I was staying here…" JBL smirked before glancing at the unknown female besides Matt. "It was very last minute… and who is this beauty?"

"I'm Ashley… I'm his girlfriend." Ashley introduced herself before Matt had a chance to say anything, her logic was that he couldn't get in trouble for not calling her his girlfriend if she just introduced herself to everybody as his girlfriend.

JBL looked at Matt then back at Ashley. "It's nice to meet you Ashley… hey why don't you get yourself changed in my hotel room while me and my nephew have a little catch up… I know what you girls are like with their makeup and hair…"

Ashley smiled as she stood in her jeans and a top obviously not wedding ready. The plan was for her to get ready at JBL's house but obviously that was out the window with Matt's ex also being there. "That would be a great idea… Matt literally takes twenty minutes to get ready anyway…"

"Yeah I know…" JBL chuckled as he put his arm around Matt and walked him down the hallway.

"You're not funny you know that right?" Matt frowned as they got into the elevator.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" JBL smirked knowingly.

"You knew I'd go to yours and see Amy… you had no intention of telling me you were staying here the night before your wedding… in fact you gave me strict instructions to meet you at your house at a specific time." Matt looked unamused at JBL's chuckling.

"Now son that doesn't sound like something I would do atall…" JBL winked at Matt before the two went to the bar. "Have you heard from your brother?"

"No I seen him in LA about a month ago and gave him your invite how did you know I would see him to give him his invitation? Sometimes I swear you can see the future…" Matt shook his head but still laughed at the same time with his uncle. It was good to see him. He had missed him. When his parents died. JBL was the only family member he had left other than Jeff and he took the boys on as his own. He would always be grateful for JBL even though he often meddled in the boys affairs like inviting Matt over to his house knowing damn well Amy would be there.

"I just didn't have an address for the boy… he's always somewhere doing something… I figured if anybody would be able to find him and give it him it would be you." JBL shrugged. "Do you know if he's coming?"

"I doubt it… he probably forgot I even gave it to him he was high as a kite…" Matt frowned slightly. It still hurt him to see his little brother going down the path he was.

"Well I guess we'll have to see then won't we…" JBL got the bartender's attention. "Hey honey can we get two scotch on the rocks please… keep the change."

"It's a little early isn't it?" Matt chuckled.

"Yeah well I'm a bag of nerves… if you can't drink on your wedding day when can you drink ey?" The bartender returned with the glasses of scotch as JBL passed one to Matt raising his drink in the air and Matt clinking their glasses together but they downed the scotch. "Oh boy, that'll put hairs on your back… now Matt I need to ask you something… I was wondering if you would be my best man… I don't have many real friends… None that I would want to call my best man anyway."

"It'd be my honour Uncle…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy looked as Jillian came down in her Dior wedding dress looking as beautiful as ever. Her make up was done very well and not too heavy that it would take attention away from the dress. The dress was fitted in all the right places and not to revealing on the chest area and her hair was half-up and half-down with curls at the bottom and a veil over the top. It was clear that JBL had spent a lot of money to make Jillian happy on her wedding day.

"Wow you really do look stunning Jillian!" Amy smiled as she gave Jillian a hug. The two had become increasingly close over the last month as she took Amy in during her darkest hour making her feel safe and secure.

"Thank you Amy… I'm really nervous… I know what I need…" Jillian went over to the cupboards getting two scotch glasses and putting two pieces of ice in both as she continued to find a bottle of scotch and pour them both a glass.

"Isn't it a bit early?" Amy chuckled.

"It's my wedding day… I'm allowed to drink!" Jillian chuckled pushing her over the glass of scotch. Amy grabbed the glass and clinked her glass against Jillian's before they both downed it. "Amy I need to ask you a favour… My best friend Kristal was supposed to be here to be my best woman but she said she won't be able to make it until the reception as her flight as been postponed… I know you weren't even supposed to come to the wedding but would you be my maid of honour? It'd mean a lot to me…"

Amy stood in shook. "Yeah.. course.."

 **-x-x-x-x**

It was time. People were starting to arrive at the wedding. Trish and Shane got out of the limousine as predicted there was lots of paparazzi outside the church - the wedding was definitely a huge social event. JBL had made quite a name for himself in New York as a successful stock market investor and also investor in many successful businesses. He had earned his place in the Upper East Side's social club. Trish looked stunning in her own brand designed nude chain embellished gown which fitted over her voluptuous curves perfectly, the perfect mix of classy and sexy. Shane wore a StratusFashion designer two piece navy suit which he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Trish's smile dropped into a frown as she noticed her mother standing at the entrance of the church with her step-father Ted Jericho. "Aw fuck sake…"

"What's up?" Shane looked in the direction that Trish was looking and seen her mother and head of his rival family Ted Jericho.

"I didn't know she was coming never mind that Ted was going to be here…" Trish looked all flustered as she continued to link onto Shane's arm. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine… we're all adults…" Shane tried to smile as genuinely as he could.

"I don't know about that one…" Trish muttered to Shane before the couple stood in front of her mother and stepfather. "Mom, Ted… What a pleasant surprise…"

"Well Patricia it wouldn't of been a surprise if your useless assistant Melina had just put me through to you like I told her too… honestly she's a dead weight in your company you should really look at getting more polite staff… if she's the one answering your calls there's no wonder why your sales have gone down…" Alice belittled Trish as she always did.

"Nice to see you too Mom…" Trish rolled her eyes. "I don't think you've both officially met my boyfriend Shane McMahon…"

Shane held his hand out to greet Ted who disregarded his greeting. "I prefer the drug addict…"

"Theodore don't say things like this is an excellent upgrade for Patricia… That Jeffrey Hardy… I always hated him you know Shane… I knew he wasn't right for my Patricia… then he turned out to be a drug addict just like I thought… I wonder if he'll be here today…" Alice began rambling on with herself while Trish rolled her eyes at Shane. "Yes despite the fact that Jericho's and McMahons are pre programmed to hate each other I do believe that you will be a much better fit for my Patricia… you seem dignified…"

"Yeah until you turn your back and the McMahon tactics come out and before you know it you have a knife in your back…" Ted muttered bitterly.

"Nonsense Ted… we've been over this Stephanie is a McMahon and you always liked her." Alice chuckled along with her husband while Shane and Trish grew more awkward by the second.

"That's because Stephanie has balls wish I could say the same for this piece of-" Ted began to rant before Trish intervened.

"Well Ted, Alice… lovely catching up as usual… I'm going to go inside with my boyfriend before he throws himself under a bus…" Trish eyes were wide as she faked a smile and quickly pulled Shane in the church. "That actually went better than I thought…"

"Really?" Shane raised his eyebrows up in shock.

"Yeah you got off easy there…" Trish giggled as her and Shane weren't paying attention and collided with Matt, JBL and Ashley.

"Trish… glad you could make it!" JBL smiled as he noticed the blonde embracing her in a big hug. He had always liked Trish and thought she was a good influence on Jeff. She had a strong head on her shoulders and was a good women. "It's been a while…"

"Well I do see you for the occasional Stratusfashion update but I know what you mean." Trish chortled. "Hey Matt… long time!"

"How you doing Trish… you look well!" Matt smiled as he embraced his brother's former girlfriend. Matt knew seeing Trish looking that good would kill his brother inside. He was secretly hoping Jeff wouldn't turn up knowing it wouldn't be a good mixture. "This is my girlfriend Ashley…"

Trish smiled greeting Ashley with a hug. "Nice to meet you I'm Trish Stratus…"

Ashley returned the hug slightly giddy. "I know exactly who you are! I love StratusFashion I'm actually wearing one of your dresses today… I can't wait to see the new collection!"

"Oh yeah… it looks good on you!" Trish smiled as she noticed Shane stood awkwardly beside her. "And this is my boyfriend Shane McMahon…"

Matt looked at Shane being civil by offering his hand out to shake. Shane shook his hand back firmly as they both nodded.

"Ahh yes, the heir to The McMahon Corporation!" JBL smiled as he shook his hand. "I hope you're looking after our Trish… she's a great girl…"

Trish blushed slightly at the comments made by JBL. Feeling awkward as she knew once upon a time she would've been attending the wedding as Jeff's girlfriend.

"I don't plan on letting her get away…" Shane smiled but a slight possessive tone in his voice.

"Well we better go find a seat… We'll catch up at the reception!" Trish waved bye to her former-future-in-laws as a heavy weight came over her heart and she smiled sadly at Matt and JBL. "Nice to meet you Ashley!"

"You're brother is a total idiot for screwing things up with her!" Ashley said abruptly. "I see why they call her America's sweetheart."

"Ashley you better go and find a seat honey… the girls will be arriving in a moment!" JBL politely reminded his nephews girlfriend. She nodded as she went to find a seat.

"So you and Ashley is it serious?" JBL asked Matt who just shrugged. "I mean she seems alright but I always imagined…"

"Stop right there… I don't want to argue with you on your wedding day!" Matt gave his uncle a stern look who nodded in defeat. "Let's go and get you married!"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish sat down as she noticed Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon already sitting together. Trish looked at Shane who rolled his eyes.

"We're going to sit with them aren't we..." Shane sighed as Trish gave him a mindful nod. The two approached the bench.

Stephanie glared at the couple as Chris whispered in her ear. "Be nice."

"Don't tell me what to do... you're not my date." Stephanie snarled.

"You both really need to tell me what's going on!" Trish chuckled. "Are you both friends now?"

Shane scoffed as Stephanie and Chris darted him a dirty look, leaving Trish confused. Did they all know something she didn't?

"More than I can say about you..." Stephanie hit back at Trish who sighed.

"I don't want to argue with you. I'm actually glad to see you..." Trish sat next to Chris as Shane sat next to her.

"I wish I could say the same..." Stephanie muttered.

"What's your problem?" Shane blurted out to his sister as he began to defend his girlfriend.

"You know what my problem is..." Stephanie hit back.

Chris sighed. "Can we all just pretend to get along for the next hour at least?"

"I don't know why don't we all pretend to hate each other instead?" Shane chuckled, hinting towards Stephanie and Chris's 'secret affair'

Trish looked confused at her boyfriend. "What are you talking about?"

"Let's ask Chris and Stephanie..." Shane smirked.

"Trish I'm going to punch your pussy of a boyfriend in the throat..." Chris looked directly at Shane.

"Get in line..." Stephanie muttered.

Trish put her hands on her head. "Can we all just calm down please?"

They didn't calm down. They all just continued to squabble as Trish dropped down in her seat.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

JBL stood at the altar while Matt stood firmly by his side. Amy walked down the aisle in front of Jillian wearing a jewel embroidered silver gown that matched the theme of the wedding. Matt looked to see Ashley looking annoyed in the crowd as he leaned into his uncle.

"Why's she Jillian's bridesmaid if she's just came for the wedding?" Matt whispered in his uncle's ear.

"Amy's just been staying with us for a while… that's all…" JBL brushed off the subject leaving Matt confused as Amy stood opposite him. They briefly made eye contact which Matt broke first by looking at his feet.

Jillian appeared in front of JBL, as she grinned which just made her glow even more.

"You're so beautiful…" JBL complimented his bride as she looked at him.

"I love you John…" Jillian smiled before the couple turned to face the priest.

"Dearly beloved… we are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moment and to cherish the words that will unite John Bradshaw Layfield and Jillian Hall in marriage…" The priest began to speak as the church's doors opened dramatically.

The whole wedding stopped as a drunken Jeff and R Truth rolled into the wedding. "Sorry I'm late… I got kicked off my plane and a whole load of other crap… I'm sorry uncle but I made it…"

Trish's heart dropped as she made eye contact with her ex-boyfriend as her current boyfriend protectively put his arm around her causing Jeff to smirk.

Alice Jericho was piercing Jeff with her beady eyes. She couldn't stand the boy.

JBL sighed. "Jeff… sit your ass down boy…"

Jeff sarcastically saluted his uncle while sitting himself at the back with R Truth.

Amy couldn't help but look at her former best friend who she hadn't seen in two years, it broke her heart that he wasn't in any better condition than he was the last time she seen him.

The priest looked at Jillian and JBL as they indicated the priest to continue with the speech.

"As I was saying… Marriage is the promise of two people who love each other and trust in that love, who honour each other as individuals and who choose to spend the rest of their lives together…"

Jeff couldn't help but feel anger as he watched Shane with his arm around Trish. He didn't take his eyes of the couple once. R Truth sat beside him whispering in his friends ear. "Not here dawg… don't be irrational."

Jeff smiled slightly as Trish turned her head slightly to look back at him making brief eye contact for one second before it was noticed by Shane. Jeff whispered back to R Truth. "It's cool Truth.."

Stephanie smirked as she watched the tension show on Shane's face before taunting Shane in a hushed tone. "Nervous Shane?"

Trish frowned at Stephanie whispering back. "Don't start!"

The priest continued his speech. "This ceremony will not create a relationship that doesn't already exist between you. It's a symbol of how far you have come over the past few years. It's a symbol of promises you make to each other to continue to grow stronger as individuals and as partners. No matter what challenges you face, you now face them together, and no matter how much you succeed, you now succeed together, the love between you joins you as one."

Trish felt uncomfortable as she felt Jeff stare a hole through her. Her heart was racing and it was being noticed by Shane. He kissed her on her head as Jeff continued to watch him and the love of his life.

"Now I believe the bride and groom have a few words of their own…"

Jillian smiled as she looked into JBL's eyes. "John… we haven't been together for a long time but the past year and a half has gave me more happiness than I have ever felt in my life. I couldn't imagine my life without you being in it. My whole life I was looking for love and that day you came into the hospital something inside me clicked. I knew it was you as crazy as that sounds. -"

Jeff listened to the words that Jillian was saying as he had a flashback of the first time he lay his eyes on Trish Stratus.

 _It was the first day of Sacred Heart Preparatory School. Jeff and Matt walked down the corridor - they had never been in a PREP school before and already they knew they were well out of their comfort zone. They lived in a small town called Cameron their whole life. This school wasn't anything like Cameron._

" _This is aload of bullshit…" Jeff frowned. He was definitely the more pessimist of the brothers._

 _The death of their parents had hit both of them hard but Jeff seemed to be letting the death effect him more than Matt. He didn't want to be in New York, he didn't want to go to a fancy prep school full of prestigious students and asshole teachers._

" _Come on give it a chance…" Matt sighed to his brother._

 _With no warning Jeff collided with a petite blonde girl who inevitably dropped all of her books. Jeff began to help the girl pick up her books as their hands touched and his emerald eyes met her hazel eyes and her smiled warmed his cold heart._

" _Sorry about that…" Trish smiled. "I'm so clumsy…"_

" _No it was my fault I wasn't looking where I was going…" Jeff and Trish both got themselves up of the ground and she continued to smile at the boy who looked incredibly out of place._

" _Are you new here?" Trish asked. "I think I'd remember seeing you around…"_

 _Jeff chuckled rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah I just moved here to live with my uncle…"_

" _Ahh… I thought so… I'm Trish Stratus." The blondes smile never removed from her face as she stuck her hand out._

 _Jeff looked down at the small curvy blonde returning the smile. "Jeff… Jeff Hardy…"_

" _Nice to meet you Jeff… Jeff Hardy… hopefully we will see more of each other." Trish smiled one last time before strutting down the corridor._

 _Jeff turned to look at his brother. "I think I could give it a chance here after all…"_

Jeff snapped back in to reality as he listened to Jillian finish her speech.

"-I promise to love you until the day I die, I promise I will be there for you through the good and the bad and I promise that you will never be replaced in this heart of mine. I love you John Bradshaw Layfield and I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you. You was definitely worth the wait."

The church began to clap as Jillian finished her speech. Trish looked down and couldn't help but wonder what Jeff was feeling, what Jeff was thinking, he had been in the room for less than five minutes and he was already clouding her mind.

It was now JBL's turn for his speech.

"Wow you're a tough act to follow…" JBL chuckled as did the rest of the church. "Jillian you light up my world, you're caring soul and infectious smile just captivates me. I'm the sort of guy who always knows the words to say but at times you leave me speechless. I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life but I'm not complaining. It's like you just said. It was that click from the first moment that I met you… I just knew you would be the one I was waiting for. Now unfortunately for you… you're stuck with me. Til death do us part baby."

The whole church started cheering and clapping as the priest raised his hands for the church to settle.

"Do you Jillian Hall take John Bradshaw Layfield as your wedded husband?"

"I do…" Jillian beamed.

"Do you John Bradshaw Layfield take Jillian Hall as your wedded wife?"

"Hell yeah…" JBL smiled as the priest frowned. "I mean I do…"

"By the power vested in me I now pronounce you man and wife… you may now kiss the bride"

"Come here baby!" JBL smiled as the two locked lips passionately.

The bride and groom walk out the church, the crowd dispersed from front to back. While walking past Jeff he looked up at Trish who locked eyes with him smiling sadly as Shane held her hand, Chris and Stephanie watched as Jeff and Trish couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around each other confirming to everyone that they were far from over one another, Alice and Ted swiftly following behind them as Alice gave Jeff an evil look.

R Truth observed the tension as he and Jeff followed the crowd at the back. "This is going to be one entertaining reception…"


	6. Numb

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS AND NOT MYSELF. LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'NUMB/ENCORE - JAY Z LINKIN PARK'**

 **READ AND REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER/STORY.**

The reception for Jillian and JBL's wedding was under way. The head table couldn't of been any more awkward as Jillian, JBL, Matt, R Truth, Jeff, Amy and Ashley all sat on the main table. The table facing them was Alice, Ted, Shane, Trish, Chris and Stephanie. Tensions were rising, sparks were flying and something was definitely lingering in the air.

"Well it's like a Team Xtreme reunion…" JBL chuckled breaking the tension on the head table.

Amy refused to make eye contact with anyone apart from JBL and Jillian evidently feeling awkward around Matt, Jeff and Ashley. Matt was looking at his plate as he sat between his ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend who had her hands on his leg. Jeff who was overly cocky and arrogant as he took full advantage of the free glasses of champagne that were being passed around and R Truth who just had red eye and was eating the main meal like he hadn't eaten in months. Munchies.

"Yeah don't get used to it…" Matt muttered bittely.

Amy continued to look down at her plate as she played with her food with her fork.

Jeff started laughing out loud uncontrollably. "I'm sorry… this is just too funny… are all supposed to just act like nothing has happened?"

JBL frowned as he dashed Jeff a stern look. "Jeff… not today"

"I mean look Matt is sat next to his ex-girlfriend who cheated with Adam who's supposed to be reporting on the wedding so that will be funny when he turns up while his new girlfriend sits knowing she's second best because his heart will always belong to Amy…"

R Truth looked over the people at the table trying not to make it obvious he was about to laugh but his facial expression said it all.

"Shut the fuck up just because you can't move on doesn't mean I'm stuck in the past like you…" Matt hissed across the table to Jeff but his voice was low so he was trying not to make a scene. "I'm not the one bringing my bumchum rapper as my date…"

Jillian didn't know where to put her face as Amy finally made eye contact with an upset Ashley who returned her gaze with a scowl.

"Oh please spare me.. We all know it I'm just the only person who will say it…" Jeff laughed loudly causing attention their table making eye contact with Trish who just looked disappointed in Jeff's behavior causing Jeff to gulp. "I'm sorry Matt… Amy… Ashley… I was out of line… I'm here for your wedding Uncle."

"Come on guys you were all so close as kids… can we just forget about what's happened for one day?" JBL pleaded with Matt, Jeff and Amy who all looked down. "I'm sorry about this Ashley…"

Ashley faked a smile. "Oh I'm over it…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"There goes that Jeffrey Hardy embarrassing himself once again…" Alice sneered as she took a sip of her champagne.

"Mom for once in your life can you just stop your running commentary on everybody's life…" Trish sighed as she picked at her food not feeling very hungry.

"Don't stick up for him Patricia… he's not your boyfriend anymore." Alice darted back at her daughter while Shane sat uncomfortable.

"Yeah exactly he's not my boyfriend anymore… so why you're still busting his balls I have no idea…" Trish stared back at her mother as the tension between the mother and daughter grew.

"I still prefer him to your new boyfriend… At least he had a personality…" Ted muttered now creating tension between him and Shane.

"I concur…" Steph smirked at Ted while Shane glared at his sister. "We all know Jeff is a better fit for Trish…"

"Oh save it Steph… you hated Jeff… you only defending him now because you're threatened by my relationship with Shane…" Trish digged back at Stephanie as the two best friends locked eyes.

"Oh christ here we go…" Chris sighed as he wasn't ready for a war between Steph and Trish. It was very rare they would argue but when they blew up you needed a twenty mile radius to be safe from their words. They took no prisoners.

"I'm threatened of you and Shane?" Stephanie scoffed. "I just miss my best friend before she turned into a no-fun, stuck up, miserable bitch…"

"Yeah will I miss my best friend who wasn't a weak bitch crying out for attention because her parents gave her brother full control of their companies… go out and do something about it… my mom sold her company you didn't see me crying about it…" Trish hit back.

"Come on ladies…" Chris tried to intervene. "You are both friends... best friends... can't we just put it behind us!"

"What the fuck Chris... what is going on with you and Steph? Why are you calling her by her real name and why are you all of a sudden sticking up for her? You're supposed to hate her!" Trish frowned angrily at her step brother.

"He didn't hate her when he was sticking his dick in her…." Shane murmured.

"What?" Ted and Trish spat out their champagne on cue. As Stephanie's nose flared. "I knew something was going on! Why didn't you tell me!"

"I think I heard someone calling my name…" Chris got up out of his chair before leaving the table and getting far away from the brewing shit storm that was about to go down.

"Sleeping with the enemy is nice…" Trish chuckled. "no wonder your parents disowned you."

"Well at least I'm sexually satisfied unlike some people I won't say names…" Stephanie began to fake cough. "Trish."

"Oh dear god…" Alice necked her champagne as threw her hands over her face.

"I told you he had no balls Alice…" Ted began to laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shane's eyes widened as he stared between Steph and Trish.

"It means big brother… you don't tickle Trish's pickle like a certain blue-haired rockstar that's sitting on the table across from us… no wonder she's been so miserable since she started dating you." Stephanie laughed evilly as she began to sip on the champagne flute. "Somebody's a bit sexually frustrated..."

"Did you say that to her?" Shane gasped.

"It was when we first started dating… It doesn't mean anything Shane!" Trish sighed. "You're a fucking bitch…"

"I gotta get out of here…" Shane hissed as grabbed his blazer off his chair.

"Please don't go Shane… it's not a big deal… I don't feel that way now…" Trish begged as she followed Shane out of the hall into the lobby of The Codebreaker.

"Don't you just love weddings?" Stephanie smiled proudly as she necked the rest of her champagne.

Ted began to laugh while Alice still look horrified.

 **X-x-x-x**

Trish followed Shane through the lobby of the Codebreaker away from the reception. "Shane please don't go… Steph is just trying to get in your head."

"I can't believe you said that to my sister!" Shane screamed angrily catching Trish by surprise. He had never raised his voice to her like that before.

"This was before I fell in love with you Shane… you remember how awkward it was the first time we had sex! This wasn't recent you know I'm satisfied now we just needed to work on it… and now it's good so it's not a problem!" Trish grabbed Shane's hands as he pulled his hand away from his girlfriend.

"Did you say I wasn't as good as Jeff Hardy?" Shane hissed.

"I lost my virginity to him Shane… I was with him for 5 years… I had nothing to compare it too at the time and it was new between me and you… it's different with me and you… you're sweet and caring…" Trish was still trying to mend the situation between her and Shane.

"Oh fuck off Trish… spare me your bullshit" Shane stormed off out the lobby ignoring Trish calling his name.

As if on cue as certain blue-haired rockstar appeared out of nowhere in front of Trish.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jeff smirked happily.

"Fuck you Hardy!" Trish yelled as she started to storm back into the reception. "Fuck you!"

"You'd like that wouldn't you…" Jeff shouted back at her as she put her middle finger up to him.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris noticed Stephanie stood at the bar looking rather delicious in strapless khaki silk gown that revealed the back of her neck and shoulders, as her chestnut brown hair landed to one side.

He stood behind her whispering into her ear. "Well since everybody knows about us why don't we go sneak off into a hotel room…"

Steph turned around and start cackling. "Bless you Jericho… you really think that was going to happen again between us? I was at low point… obviously. That was a Cancun only type of deal… I still can't stand you… it was just a lot of alcohol and feeling sorry for myself that clouded my judgement when I slept with you… it was a mistake... you were the best of a bad situation but now I'm back in New York and can put this mistake behind me"

"That would make sense if you didn't repeat that mistake numerous times…" Chris hissed.

Stephanie shrugged smugly. "C'mon let's be serious… you was just something that would annoy my family… what better way to piss them off then sleep with the enemy?"

"You're lying…" Chris raised an eyebrow. "You know you can't stop thinking about that month in Cancun… just like I can't."

"I can't stop thinking how much I hate you…" Stephanie emphasized as the two stepped closer together.

"You love my dick though." Chris smirked as he whispered in her ear. "You were never a good actress…"

"Well I fooled you honey." Stephanie whispered back as the two went their separate ways.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The DJ stood at the booth as the meals were finally removed from the tables and the celebrations could really begin. "Ladies and gentleman for the first time Mr and Mrs Layfield!"

JBL and Jillian made their way to the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple with the song in the background being 'Make You Feel My Love - Adele'

Trish noticed Stephanie socializing and darted straight up to her. "You fucking bitch!"

Stephanie started laughing at her infuriated best friend. "Takes one to know one Stratus."

"I thought we were best friends but best friends don't do what you just did to me!" Trish snarled.

Stephanie laughed. "You started it bitch… I just finished it!"

"Finish this!" Trish punched Steph in her face as the two began to fight and ended up in the middle of the dancefloor knocking over Jillian and JBL in the process.

"Oh shit man… catfight…" R Truth laughed.

Jeff, Chris, Matt and Amy tried to split them up but both had the other by the hair.

"You slut!" Trish screamed in Steph's face.

Steph returning the name calling. "You fraud!"

Chris managed to drag Steph while Jeff dragged Trish with Matt and Amy in the middle while JBL seen to Jillian who was in pain on the floor. The whole time Trish and Steph still name calling and trying to reach each other.

"You're calling me a fraud you stuffed your bra until you were in senior year!" Trish shouted. "The only natural D's you had were your test results in Freshman year!

"At least I never lost my virginity in the back of my mother's limousine!" Stephanie hissed back.

"You kissed your cousin you do know that's inbred!" Trish sneered.

"You know I didn't know that was my cousin!" Stephanie squealed

"Well I suppose you do lose your mind when you take magic mushrooms!" Trish yelled.

"You took them as well you hypocrite!" Stephanie screamed back at her.

"At least I didn't use my cellphone as a vibrator and have to go to the hospital to remove it!" Trish shrieked.

"You said that everybody gets curious at that age!" Stephanie yelled back.

"Well just buy a vibrator Stephanie! Don't experiment with something you put to your ear twenty times a day!" Trish mocked.

"Enough!" JBL screamed. "Take them out the room and give them time to calm down. DJ play the music. I'm sorry about this everyone I have no idea what's happened…"

"I apologize John on behalf of my daughter Patricia… Her behaviour and language is complete unacceptable and has bought shame on our family well that's no surprise really she always do find some way to completely humiliate me." Alice attempted to smooth things over with JBL knowing that there was a lot of elite families in attendance at the wedding and Trish's outburst reflected back on her.

"Shut up Alice like me and Trish didn't find a sex tape of you in your younger years with three men in the video!" Stephanie screamed before Chris finally got her out of the room. No matter how bad her and Trish argued she still hated her best friend's mother looking down her nose at Trish.

Trish's eyes widened as Jeff finally got her out of the room.

Amy noticed somebody with a video camera in the back who was about to leave - Adam Copeland. Amy had heard Adam was a journalist and had his own tabloid company now and as much as she disliked Stephanie McMahon she knew the last thing Trish would need right now is another scandal. Amy followed after Adam as Matt noticed exactly why Amy was disappearing. Ashley analyzing Matt's reaction as he watched his ex leave.

"I need some air…" Matt told Ashley as he kissed her on the cheek and followed Amy.

Ashley looking defeated as she sighed miserably.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Steph calm down!" Chris yelled over her ranting voice.

"Who does think she is!" Stephanie screamed. "I'm Stephanie McMahon!"

"You are best friends you shouldn't be fighting!" Chris yelled back at Stephanie - both were headstrong and were no strangers to shouting matches with each other. "Guess you really have been a freak from day one though... phone as a vibrator never used that one before..."

"Let go off me Jericho… you're not my boyfriend so stop trying to be! I don't even fucking like you-" Stephanie screamed as Chris planted a passionate kiss on her lips which Steph didn't pull back from. Things soon got heated between the two as Chris pulled down Steph's gown and Steph helped undress Chris.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Let go off me Hardy…" Trish was still trying to get out as Jeff stood in front of the door.

Jeff laughed at the fiery blonde. "Nice to see you still got your fighting spirit I thought you had turned boring…"

"Fuck you!" Trish using all her force to push Jeff into the door.

"I love when you get aggressive it's a real turn on!" Jeff smirked knowing he was pushing all of Trish's buttons. They did this often when they were together. Angry sex was the best sex. Things were different now. Jeff needed to remember that.

"Go to hell!" Trish screamed as she sat down on a chair after wasting all her energy.

"Already there princess…" Jeff shrugged. "Have been since you broke up with me…"

"And who's fault is that? I would've been with you forever but you chose your lifestyle over your girlfriend!" Trish screamed as she got up from her chair poking Jeff in the chest aggressively.

Jeff gently slapped her hand away from him. "I told you I'd come back to New York with you… you gave up on us when I needed you the most!"

"I gave up on us?" Trish laughed crazily. "You're so fucking deluded… all them drugs have gotten to your head."

"You're the one in a relationship honey… you're the one who moved on… you never wanted us to work and you was looking for any excuse to break up with me as soon as your mom sold her company that was the end of us not me!" Jeff chuckled back to her as he pulled a flask out from his blazer.

"Are you serious? I lost my families legacy because of you but yet I'm the one who never wanted us to work have you seriously heard yourself?" Trish got up in Jeff's face who was just laughing at the infuriated blonde.

"I did you a favour look at you now perfect life… your own company, perfect relationship… well nearly perfect… from what I've heard he doesn't quite hit your spot like me." Jeff smiled proudly as Trish's nostrils began to flare in anger and she slapped him across his face.

"That's for everything you've put me through!" Trish screeched as she walked back into the reception.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy caught up to Adam as he stood in The Codebreakers courtyard looking at the video he had just taken. He knew that this would be exactly what his bosses would want to post. Juicy upper east side scandal.

"Delete the video Adam…" Amy stated sternly, not asking any questions.

Adam turned around and his jaw dropped as he seen Amy. "Amy? What are you doing here?"

"Delete the video c'mon don't be a jackass…" Amy sighed. She was really facing her past coming to this wedding, something she had been running from for so long. Look how far that had got her.

"It's my job Ames…" Adam looked at her raising an eyebrow. "You know I can't do that…"

"Please if you meant what you said at prom and you had any sort of love for me… you'll delete the footage…" Amy pleaded hitting him with eyes that begged for cooperation. "Please."

Adam gulped as he passed the camera to Amy and she deleted the footage herself.

"Thank you…" Amy smiled as she turned to walk away.

"So that's it? I don't see you in how long and you just walk away?" Adam raised his voice causing Amy to turn around.

"You were supposed to be my friend Adam and you tell me you love me and you knew I was with Matt and you took advantage of my relationship problems!" Amy argued back at Adam.

"You kissed me first!" Adam squabbled back with her letting out a sigh of disbelief at what Amy was saying. "If I didn't tell you then Amy I never would've…"

"Sometimes I wish you didn't…" Amy grimaced as she walked away.

Matt watched from afar as he turned around to return to the ceremony to find Ashley stood behind him with tears in her eyes.

"You lied to me Matt…" Ashley didn't raise her voice or argue she just looked hurt.

"Ashley-" Matt tried to explain but Ashley cut him off once again.

"Don't Matt… I can see it in your eyes you still love her... I can't pretend that I'm okay with it when I'm not… I think we should break up…" Ashley exhaled calmly holding back the tears and swallowing the lump in her throat. "This doesn't affect anything business wise… and who knows maybe when you face your feelings and heal from the past we can be together but right now you have so many things you need to sort out the last thing you need is a new relationship when you're still not over your last one…"

Ashley kissed Matt on the cheek before walking away. Matt didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He knew she was right.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie started to dress herself quickly, refusing to look at Chris.

"Look Steph…" Chris sighed as he noticed how cold she was being with him. "I'm done pretending that this is just sex and that you hate me… Fuck our families..."

"I'm not pretending Chris… now stay away from me… before I hurt you…" Steph put on her gown and exited the room that they just desecrated.

Stephanie stormed out the room leaving Chris alone.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish noticed as Stephanie tried to sneak out the party following her best friend.

"Steph! I'm sorry can we just be friends again…" Trish called out to her best friend who was half way through the courtyard on her way to the street. Stephanie turned to look at her her face filled with sorrow.

"You don't get it Trish… when you were heartbroken and your world fell apart I was there for you! And I don't mind that because you've been my best friend since I can remember walking but when my world falls apart where were you Trish? You weren't by my side… you were by Shane's…" Stephanie murmured all of the attitude had move from her voice but now instead she was trying to make Trish understand why she had been acting so crazy and bitchy.

"Steph I didn't pick anybody's side!" Trish exhaled tired of trying to make Steph understand.

"That's the thing you didn't have too! You were my best friend Trish before you were my brother's girlfriend you said we would always have each other's backs and you didn't have mine when I needed you too!" Stephanie cried softly.

"So what? We're not friends anymore?" Trish swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I dunno Trish…" Stephanie sighed as she walked away.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"This is a disaster…" JBL gasped as he attended Jillian's injured ankle.

Jillian just giggled and shrugged. "Memorable wedding though… nobody could say they were bored…"

JBL laughed as Jillian leaned into kiss him. "I'm sorry… I know you didn't sign up for all this drama…"

"I signed up for everything to do with you… family and friends drama was included in that!" Jillian grinned back at him unfazed at the drama unfolding all around her. To be quite honest Jillian had always lived a quiet life and the drama was quite entertaining for her she never had any arguments with anyone or fights the most drama she had was TV dramas. She was always a massive fan of Gossip Girl now it was like she was living it.

"I refuse to work under these conditions… this is supposed to be a wedding not Jerry Springer… I quit…" The DJ got up and left the ballroom as Jillian frowned.

"It's cool man…" R Truth who was still high and smelt of alcohol as he put his arms around JBL and Jillian. "Me and J Hardy have got yo' ass covered… maybe this will make up for us fucking your wedding vows up."

JBL and Jillian just laughed as R Truth got up on the stage with Jeff as they spoke among themselves. Jeff shaking his head and their conversation inaudible for the guests to hear.

R Truth went upto the DJ's decks as he put in his USB card and started playing a sick beat. "Homies and homettes don't worry that DJ sucked anyway… everyone knows you need a sick band to play at a wedding this is a preview off Jeff's new album which is fire by the way and features the one and only R Truth it's new and exclusive…"

R Truth began rapping down the microphone.

" _Can I get an encore, do you want moreCooking raw with the Brooklyn boySo for one last time I need y'all to roar"_

Jeff began singing in the microphone.

" _Now what the hell are you waiting for?"_

R Truth rapped straight after.

" _After me, there shall be no more_

 _So for one last time, make some noise"_

The crowd began to cheer and started to get into the performance. As R Truth continued to rap along to the beat.

" _Who you know fresher than Hov'? Riddle me thatThe rest of y'all know where I'm lyrically atCan't none of y'all mirror me backYeah hearin me rap is like hearin G. Rap in his primeI'm, young H.O., rap's Grateful DeadBack to take over the globe, now break breadI'm in, Boeing jets, Global ExpressOut the country but the blueberry still connectOn the low but the yacht got a triple deckBut when you Young, what the fuck you expect? Yep, yepGrand openin, grand closinDamn your man Hov' cracked the can open againWho you gon' find doper than him with no penjust draw off inspirationSoon you gon' see you can't replace himwith cheap imitations for"_

Trish sat watching Jeff and R Truth on the stage as Chris sat next to her. They both look sadly at each other as Chris was the first who broke the silence. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I seen her…"

"I just thought we could tell each other anything…" Trish sighed. "I always tell you."

R Truth continued to rap his lyrics.

" _Now can I get an encore, do you want moreCooking raw with the brooklyn boySo for one last time I need y'all to roar"_

The crowd continued to cheer as Jeff began to sing.

" _Now what the hell are you waitin for_

 _After me, there shall be no more"_

R Truth continued with the next verse.

" _Now Look what you made him do, look what he made for youKnew if we paid our dues, how will they pay youWhen you first come in the game, they try to play youThen you drop a couple of hits, look how they wave to youFrom Marcy to Madison SquareTo the only thing that matters in just a matter of yearsAs fate would have it, Jeff Truth's status appearsto be at an all-time high, perfect time to say goodbyeWhen we come back like Jordan, wearin the 4-5It ain't to play games witchu_ _I_ _t's to aim at you, probably maim youIf I owe you I'm blowin you to smithereeensYeah you better take one for your teamAnd we need you to remember one thing (one thing)We came,we saw, we conqueredFrom record sales, to sold out concertsSo muh'fucker if you want this encoreI need you to scream, 'til your lungs get sore"_

Trish looked at Jeff and R Truth on the stage as she made eye contact as Jeff began to sing his verse, their eyes locked together.

" _I'm tired of being what you want me to beFeeling so faithless lost under the surfaceDon't know what you're expecting of mePut under the pressure of walking in your shoes(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)Every step that I take is another mistake to you(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)And every second I waste is more than I can take"_

Jeff's words hit Trish as they didn't take their eyes off each other the entire time he was singing. The pain his words and his voice was evident to Trish and probably unnoticeable to everybody else in the reception.

" _I've become so numb I can't feel you thereI've become so tired so much more awareI'm becoming this all I want to doIs be more like me and be less like youBecome soo numb"_

"I'm gonna go home… It's been a crazy day…" Trish sighed as she smiled sadly at Chris before getting her purse and looking back at Jeff who was still watching her as he began to play another song.

Trish couldn't believe the day she had and she was emotionally drained from the day.

As Trish walked away she bumped into her mother who was far from amused with an unnactrive scowl on her face even through all the botox injected into her face.

"You're such a disappointment Patricia… you've made a mockery of our family today!" Alice sniggered at her daughter with pure venom on her tongue.

Trish stood there silent not mentally prepared for her verbal abuse about to pour from her mother's mouth. "Can we not do this right now mom…"

"This is the exact reason why I sold my company I don't want you ruining my brand name like you ruin everything else… you couldn't keep your friendship with Stephanie, you couldn't keep a relationship with a billionaire who was dignified and would've given you the world all because you couldn't control your sexual desires or your big mouth… hell you couldn't even keep a relationship with a total loser like Jeff Hardy… pushing him to become a drug habit… don't you realise Patricia… you're toxic… and you make me wish you were never born… you're an ungrateful, spoilt, useless bimbo… No wonder your father doesn't bother coming to visit you anymore… you know your father has the right idea for as much as I can't stand the man I respect him for not getting caught up in your scandalous affairs… one day your pretty looks will fade girl and your boobs will sag and what will you have going for you? You have no brain in your head!"

Trish took the verbal diarrhea just nodding her head as the lump in her throat grew and she refused to make eye contact with the woman who gave her life.

"Oh now you're going to start with the water works thinking you're so hard done by… Well you may fool everybody else Trish you don't fool me… now get yourself home you look a mess…" Alice spat before returning to the celebration.

Trish ran out of the hotel and into the courtyard where she burst out into tears.

"Hey…"

Trish looked behind her to find Amy stood looking sympathetically towards her.

"I know we haven't really spoke since all that happened in Vegas but I heard what your mom said to you and that was pretty harsh... " Amy smiled sadly at Trish as she sat down on the fountain with the sobbing blonde.

"She's right Amy… She was right about Stephanie… She was right about Shane… She was right about my father…" Trish sobbed before taking a deep breathe and composing herself still looking down at her feet. "She was even right about Jeff…"

"No she isn't… you and Steph have your arguments but your best friends and Shane is madly in love with you… they both need to calm down it's been a wild day…" Amy spoke positively. "And as for Jeff… he made his own choices… you can't blame yourself for that…"

"Yes I can… I mean what if I had given him a chance and stuck by him… maybe he wouldn't be addicted to drugs and acting like somebody he's not… if I had took him back and just told him it's okay and we could go back to New York together like he offered… maybe-" Trish cried lightly. She was a pretty crier which was a good thing. Amy couldn't understand how somebody could still be so pretty with mascara dripping down her face.

"Maybe he would… maybe he wouldn't… what if the sky was green instead of blue? What if the grass was blue instead of green? You can sit and question what would've happened if you didn't make a decision in life…" Amy thought back to how many times she thought the same thing when she slept with Adam and Matt found out. "...but it's not going to help you at this moment…"

Trish nodded as Amy offered her a tissue from her purse. "Thank you…"

"You're not a bad person Trish and your mother sounds like the toxic one… not you." Amy smiled sadly as Trish returned the sad smile back to her.

Trish took a deep breath and nodded. "Have you spoken to Jeff at all?"

Amy shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not the Hardy boys favourite person anymore…"

"Well like you just said to me about Stephanie… I'm going to say to you about Jeff… he loves you I know that he has so much respect for you and he thinks of you like a sister he never had." Trish began to give Amy advice as roles reversed. "Trust me you'll make up…"

Amy shook her head one more time letting out a small chuckle. "No… I think any respect I had is as dead as mine and Matt's relationship…"

"Jeff's not himself anymore… you know that… one day he'll realize Amy… and as for Matt… bit hypocritical of me to say because I can't be in a room with Jeff without screaming at him but maybe you should try and speak to him… if not for any other reason than closure." Trish shrugged as Amy nodded and gave her a grateful smile. "I'm gonna go home… I'm getting a migraine from all the drama… I know we haven't spoke in ages but we were friends once upon a time…"

"Yeah because we dated brothers…" Amy shrugged.

"Well maybe we could go back to being friends you know even if we aren't dating brothers?" Trish suggested.

Amy laughed. "Yeah I'd like that…"

Trish passed Amy one of her business cards. "If you ever need anything Amy feel free to give me a call and thank you for being the only person today who's been nice to me…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy returned to the reception and the guest were definitely love Jeff and R Truth as Jeff would perform a rock song then R Truth would perform a hip hop song. Jillian sat on a chair throwing her hands in the air obviously not bothered about her injured ankle as she seemed to enjoy herself. JBL and a few other guests were laughing and dancing. It seemed after all that drama Jillian and JBL could end the night on a high.

Amy sat on a table by herself as she kept looking at Trish's business card soon to be joined by Matt as she put the card in her purse. "Erm… hey Matt…"

"What are you doing here Ames?" Matt's tone wasn't aggressive more monotone.

"I'm here because of the wedding…" Amy's words weren't very convincing.

"Well I don't believe that for one second when you were Jillian's maid of honour…" Matt sighed. "Just be honest with me Amy… for once."

The words cut Amy deep - she did owe him an explanation. "I got into some trouble and I had nowhere to go so I just asked JBL if I could stay with him for a while...I know it's your uncle and I know I shouldn't be going to your family with my problems-"

"No I'm glad you did…" Matt's words causing Amy to raise her eyebrows in shock. "You know no matter what happens JBL has a lot of time for you… what trouble?"

Amy shook her head. "It doesn't matter now it's over…"

Matt wanted to know what trouble Amy was talking about but didn't want to push her to hard. There was other things that needed to be discussed. "Why did you sleep with Adam? I've blocked it out of my head for two years burying my head in work to avoid this conversation and it's ruined my relationship with Ashley… I just need to know why you broke my heart…"

Amy felt the guilt creep in on her as the subject made her emotional. She knew she broke Matt's heart and she never wanted to hurt him. They were family. "I don't know… we was arguing a lot and I didn't think we would get through it… then Adam told me he was in love with me and he was being so sweet to me and you were so distant and I kissed him and things escalated then Jeff found out and I begged him not to tell you… It was the worst mistake I've ever made Matt."

The words cut through Matt's heart like a knife. "Well you're my worst mistake Amy…"

Matt got up off the table leaving Amy distraught as she got her purse and ran out the hotel.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish cried into her pillow something she hadn't done since her and Jeff broke up. The words from her mother were playing on her mind, the words from her argument with Steph and Shane and Jeff were just playing round in her head like a broken record. She lifted her head from her pillow as she picked up her memory box from her drawers under her bed. She looked at all the photos as they lay all over her bed before she pushed them all of her bed and her cry turned into a soundless sob.

She heard the elevator land on her floor as she wiped her tears and went into the living room to find an unexpected visitor standing outside the elevator. "What are you doing here?"


	7. Climax

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **A/N - READ AND REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER I KNOW JEFF IS A DOUCHE AT THE MOMENT BUT IM TRYING TO DISPLAY REALISTIC EFFECTS THAT DRUGS AND ALCOHOL COULD HAVE ON PEOPLE! WILL HE CHANGE? YOURE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP READING!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONEST REVIEWS IM SO GRATEFUL FOREVER!!! I WILL AT SOME POINT DO A FLASHBACK CHAPTER TO SHOW HOW EVERYONE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL BUT FOR NEW HERE THE LATEST CHAPTER UPDATES WILL BEGIN TO GET SLOWER AS IM CURRENTLY IN ASIA!!!**

"What are you doing here?" Trish's voice was shaky the evidence of her recent breakdown.

"Seeing you today… looking like that… in that dress… you look amazing" Jeff stood there his tie undone around his shirt and his tux looked messy with alcohol stains all down him.

Trish looked at Jeff, shaking her head in disbelief. "You've not answered my question Hardy why are you here?"

"I just want to talk… I've missed you…" Jeff gulped, the nerves were setting in despite the alcohol consumption. "I miss us… seeing you today… you should've been there with me… we shouldn't have ended up like this and I know it's my fault and it's killing me inside seeing you with him… you should be with me!"

Jeff moved closer to Trish who still had tears in her eyes and mascara dripping from her eyelashes. "That doesn't matter anymore Hardy… you made it clear what priority I was in your life… your lied to me and broke a promise… you promised you wouldn't take drugs anymore and you lied…"

"And I'm sorry Trish… I am…" Jeff caressed her face as he looked into her eyes. "Tell me you don't love me anymore and I'll leave you alone."

Trish gazed back into his eyes. "I'll always love you but I just don't like you anymore you've changed… besides I'm with Shane now and he's good to me"

Jeff was inches away from Trish's face, her body shaking with his presence so close to her. "You know he's not the one for you Trish… everybody knows it… I can see it...there's no passion… no history…"

"And there's no future between us anymore! You made sure of it!" Trish replied defensively.

"I'm here now Trish tell me what to do and I'll do it!" Jeff gazed into Trish's hazel eyes as he waited for a reply but she pushed his hands of her face instead and moved away from him.

"You want to know what I want you to do? " Trish barked back at Jeff before her voice turned soft and fragile. "I want you to leave..."

Jeff moved closer to Trish again. "Tell me you're in love with him… really in love with him… tell me he makes you forget about me and I'll leave you alone… I'll leave you to be happy..."

Trish stayed silent as Jeff chuckled.

"You can't can you?" Jeff and Trish's eyes locked onto each other as he moved closer.

"You need to leave…" Trish bit her lip anxiously as Jeff ignored her and kissed her passionately. Butterflies, fireworks, sparks of every kind began to flow through every inch of Trish's body, electricity the kind she only felt when she was with him. She didn't stop him. She didn't push him away. She couldn't. He was like a magnet that attracted her and she couldn't resist. The two continued to kiss passionately as Trish began to breathe harder.

Suddenly Trish pulled away. It took every inch of self-discipline she had in her but she managed to stop their kiss and stop it escalating into something she would soon regret.

The blonde wiped her lips and shook her head frantically. "We shouldn't have done that."

"You know that it's me and you Trish… it's always been me and you…" Jeff pulled her closer one more time and began to kiss her once again but this time she didn't kiss back and instead pushed him away from her.

"You can't just come back into my life and think you own me Jeff." Trish yelled. "It's not fair on me you don't get to have me anymore… not my body and certainly not my heart!"

Jeff stumbled back a bit as the words Trish said sunk into his mind. "I love you Trish…"

"That doesn't matter anymore we're not kids Hardy! Love isn't enough..." Trish sighed as she closed her eyes for a second centring herself once again. "You're not the man that I love and from the looks of it he's long gone... now please leave!"

Trish stepped into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She slid down the floor and sat at the bottom, her head in her knees crying once again.

Jeff could feel his anger burning up inside him as she walked away from him. Knowing that she didn't want him in her life anymore he aggressively pushed the button to elevator. He phoned R Truth. "Yo It's Jeff… where the party at?"

-x-x-x-x-

While Jeff was in the elevator on the way down to the building lobby, he took out a small bag of cocaine from inside his tux pocket. He poured a big bump on his hand before inhaling the white dust and sniffing hard to make sure it hit the back of his throat. His throat became slightly numb as the cocaine made its way through his body. He wiped away the evidence from around his nose in the mirrored elevator before he stepped out when it landed on the ground floor unexpectedly bumping into somebody in the process.

Jeff smirked as his paths crossed with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. Shane looked far from amused to see the one and only Jeff Hardy in his girlfriend lobby.

"I should've known you would try and worm your way back in!" Shane snarled.

"So you must be the rebound… nice to officially meet you." Jeff grinned sarcastically.

"Stay away from her!" Shane's normal polite manner was out of the window and an aggressive side began to appear. "You want to come around here and fuck with my girlfriend's head?! You want to try and fuck up my relationship? I'm warning you rainbow wig… leave us alone."

Jeff started laughing unthreatened by the older male. Jeff and Shane had never met but only heard of each other - Shane was older than Steph by 6 and a half years and when the gang were all in high school together, Shane was studying in an ivy league college out of New York city meaning the two hadn't ever crossed paths before.

"I don't see why you're laughing I wasn't saying anything funny…" Shane barked at the rockstar who didn't flinch at all but looked like he found the situation rather amusing this was angering the billionaire even more.

"You can't stand it can you…" Jeff continued to smirk smugly. "You know she still loves me. You know that it's just a matter of time before we end up back together… you know I'm the one for her and it doesn't matter how long it takes but I'll be the one who ends up with her and you'll be known as the guy that she dated for a while when we were having a rough patch"

Shane gripped Jeff by his collar pushing him up against the wall. "I'm warning you... You little punk… don't fuck with me… you have no idea what I'm capable off…"

Jeff continued to chuckle maliciously loving every minute of the aggressive display. "There he is… the real Shane O'Mac… I have a feeling Trish doesn't know what you're capable off either."

"Don't fuck with me you punk… I'll ruin you if you don't get ruin yourself in the process" Shane hissed in Jeff's ear before letting go of his grip and walking away from the rockstar.

Jeff shouted back at his love rival as he walked away from him. "You'll never be me Shane-O"

-x-x-x-x-

With JBL and Jillian away for two weeks on their honeymoon to The Maldives - Amy was left all alone in the townhouse. It had been the first time since the attack that she had been left by herself; she was fine until she was left on her own. Flashbacks came flooding to her mind as she started making herself a cup of hot cocoa, distracted by her thoughts she spilt the mug of boiling cocoa all over her hand.

"Fuck!" Amy howled in pain, running over to the tap to pour cold water on her scold.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Taking her burnt hand out of the sink she reluctantly went to open the door. She didn't know who it could be or why somebody would be knocking on JBL and Jillian's home - they rarely had visitors.

Amy opened the door to find a staggering Matt on the doorstep, the smell of alcohol surrounded Matt as his eyes were rolling to the back of his head. Matt wasn't a big drinker like his brother and it wasn't often he was left legless.

"Matt what are you doing here?" Amy's voice was full of concern.

Matt barged past the redhead obviously looking for an argument. "This is my uncle's house I have more of a right to be here than you!"

Matt's words were slightly slurred as he stumbled around the living room, poking his hand in Amy's chest.

"You're drunk Matt… can we not do this right now!" Amy sighed as she walked away from the raven-haired drunk and went back to wiping up the rest of the cocoa she had spilled.

"Welllll youuuu willll p-p-probably dis-s-s-s-appear for another two yearsss...so I just wanted to say f-f-f-fuck y-y-y-ou…" Matt was stuttering and slurring as he ended up falling onto the sofa.

Amy took in a deep breathe trying not to react to the outburst. He had every right to be angry; now wasn't the best time to discuss past issue. "I know Matt you've made it clear how you feel about me…"

"Yeah… w-w-welll it's not f-f-fair that y-y-you are here-e-e-e…" Matt sunk into the sofa his eyes barely open, Amy made her way from the open kitchen and sat on the sofa opposite him.

"I know…" Amy didn't make eye contact instead she analyzed her scalded hand.

"It's not f-f-fair that I still l-l-love you…" With the words leaving his lips Matt soon passed out on the sofa from his intoxicated outburst and looked uncomfortable as he fell asleep sat up. The words shocked Amy as she rearranged Matt so that he was lying down on a sofa and covered him with a blanket. She watched him sleep peacefully and smiled sadly at him before kissing his forehead and going upstairs to the guest room.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish finally stopped crying as wiped her ruined makeup off of her face getting changed into some red silk and lace pyjamas covered by a red silk dressing gown. She had no more tears to cry and was feeling drained - tomorrow would be a better day. Back to reality. The wedding was over so that would mean Jeff wouldn't be in New York much longer, she planned to speak to Stephanie over the course of the next few days so they could speak to each other like adults and planned to leave Shane to calm down before they would inevitably sort their issues out like they always did. The only issues they had was Jeff Hardy and he would soon be put in the past where he belonged.

Trish jumped slightly as Shane opened her bedroom door thinking for a second that Jeff may had come back for round two of 'you belong with me' but Trish was pleasantly surprised to find Shane instead.

"Shane… I'm sorry about before… I didn't want to call you while you were mad and-" Trish smiled as she seen her boyfriend who didn't return the smile instead he walked slowly over to the bed and looked into Trish's eyes.

"Why was Jeff here?" Shane's tone was hostile and full of jealousy.

"I don't know he just turned up…" Trish sheepishly replied breaking the eye contact between her and Shane.

"Did anything happen between you?" Shane's tone stayed the same as he could already see the guilt painted all over the blonde's face.

"No…" Trish didn't make eye contact.

"I'm not going to ask again Trish did anything happen between you?" Shane began to grow impatient with the blonde who continued to avoid eye contact, his voice turned into a thundering shout causing Trish to jump.

"We kissed…" Trish looked at Shane as he got up off the bed noticing the memory box his girlfriend was so fond before grabbing it and throwing it against the wall as pictures of his girlfriend past lay on the floor. Trish felt nervous - she had never seen this side of Shane. "I'm sorry Shane I didn't mean for it to happen and I told him we wouldn't ever get together again and I know I've fucked up but I do want to be with you! The man I seen today means nothing to me!"

Shane studied the pictures on the floor as he found various pictures of Jeff Hardy and Trish picking them up into his hands and he chuckled with venom as his blood began to boil.

"Then why do you still keep these stupid pictures, why do you still defend him to your mother, why do you make me feel like nothing I will do will ever compare to the love you shared with Jeff fucking Hardy!" Shane began to shout aggressively, ripping up Trish's pictures and punching a wall. Trish looked terrified not knowing what to do - Shane had never spoke to her like this or acted in this way before. "Do you want me to start acting like him? Maybe then you might show me some respect. I'm your boyfriend not Jeff Hardy… why the fuck are you kissing him? Do you think I'm some fucking idiot… I treat you like a princess but maybe you don't want that maybe you want me to be a nasty bastard well if that's what you want Trish that's what I can do!"

Shane had gone mad with jealousy as he began to smash up her bedroom, a few tears running down her cheeks.

"Shane stop!" Trish cried as she attempted to hold him to calm him down before he pushed her back onto the bed with brutal force. "I'm sorry!"

Shane began to calm down and stopped breaking things in Trish's room he noticed the blonde's tears and sat next to her. "If you make a fool out of me again… you will be sorry Trish."

Shane stood up and took himself out of Trish's apartment. She couldn't believe the events of the last twenty four hours. What else could possibly go wrong?

-x-x-x-x-

Matt woke up blurry eyed and a migraine creeping up on him. He looked around and sat up slowly to find himself in JBL's apartment; confused as to how he got there. He noticed Amy stood in the kitchen making some food as he wiped his eyes. "What the fuck am I doing here?" Matt whispered to himself which got noticed by Amy.

"There's some bacon and eggs for you!" Amy called out as she poured the eggs and bacon onto a plate and placed the plate on the dining table by a glass of orange juice and two painkillers for Matt's head. She knew he would be feeling rough - he didn't often have drunken episodes but when he did…

Matt cautiously stood up before sitting at the table and necked the painkillers with a sip of orange juice. He began to eat the eggs and bacon as Amy sat opposite and ate her bowl of porridge. The silence was deafening and you could cut through the tension in the room with a knife.

"What am I doing here?" Matt spoke after swallowing a piece of bacon and eggs.

"You were drunk came here to start an argument I guess… Although a lot of slurring and stuttering made most of the words inaudible… I deserved it anyway…" Amy shrugged as she stuck her spoon in the porridge. "Matt you said you still love me is that true?"

Matt froze as he dropped his knife and fork on the plate and jumped up off the seat. "I should go I've already missed my flight I need to get back to LA…"

"Matt don't go… let's just talk… I mean if you still love me we can try and work this out…" Amy stood in front of Matt who just started laughing.

"I do love you but I'm not some idiot who's just going to forget about what you did… I don't want to work things out with you…" Matt attempted to leave but Amy stood forcefully in his way. The house phone rung but Amy and Matt both ignored it as they carried on their arguing.

"Well can't we at least just talk about it? I don't want you to hate me forever Matt!" Amy sighed as she tried to plead with her ex to just sit with her.

"You should've thought about that when you slept with Adam! I always fucking warned you about him… you said no Matt he's just a friend and then you fuck him!" Matt was yelling not in an aggressive way that scared Amy but she could see how hurt he was still after two years.

The phone stopped ringing as it went to answer machine and the two stopped arguing as they heard R Truth begin to speak. "Yo… I don't know who's there but man we fucked up… Jeff's in the hospital I'm not sure if he's going to make it-"

Amy answered the phone. "Hello…"

"Yeah… what do you mean he's overdosed?"

"We're on our way…"

Amy hung up the phone. "We need to get to the hospital now!"

-x-x-x-x-

After the last twenty four hours of hell - Trish woke up from a light sleep after tossing and turning all night. She looked at herself in the mirror to see her eyes were swollen from all the crying and they were decorated with dark bags from the lack of sleep she had received. She knew she had no time to waste and she couldn't dwell on the manic events of yesterday's wedding - she had a business to run. She jumped into the shower for a quick wash, got herself ready for the day as she threw up her hair in a slick back ponytail, threw on some of her own brand make up as she attempted to make herself look half-human and brushed her teeth. She went into her walk in closet which was organized by different categories; straight to her business attire. Trish threw on her own branded black fitted blazer and pencil skirt which sculpted her figure perfectly but still looked professional enough to be taken serious as she finished her outfit with her black louboutin stilettos. Pushing the events of the wedding to the back of her head, she went straight down to the building's lobby and jumped into her limousine as her driver drove her to StratusFashion head office.

Trish walked straight through the office being hassled by employees straight away regarding various work related incidents. Trish had the whole boss routine nailed - she nodded when needed to, shook her head when she heard something she didn't like and often mentioned they should pass on the message too Melina who she would liaise with.

Trish made her way to the her office finding Melina at her desk - early as usual.

"Good morning Trish… I have today's breakfast pre-ordered and I also have a bottle of water and your usual soy caramel latte with extra foam as requested… so how was the wedding?" Melina smiled passing Trish her breakfast.

Trish took the breakfast out of her hands and groaned at the mention of the wedding. "I just don't want to talk about it… the best day of JBL's life was potentially the worst day of mine!"

Trish stormed into her office as Melina cautiously followed behind. Melina popped Trish's mail on the desk along with her schedule for the day.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Melina smiled sheepishly.

Trish shook her head. "The last thing I want to do is talk about it Mel… You can tell me how your day went and take my mind off things."

"Everything ran smoothly… Nothing to report really… Oh apart from I might actually have a date tonight…" Melina beamed as she told Trish about her date. Melina was a quiet girl who didn't really socialise a lot… she worked all day then would go home and read a book or probably work some more. It was exciting news that she would even consider going on a date.

"Ooooh spill!" Trish's mood immediately shifted at the bombshell Melina had just dropped as she finished eating her bowl of porridge. Her eyes fixed on Melina to show her interest in the subject.

"Well I never told you but whenever I go and get your coffee, I often see this man ordering his around the same time, he's cute, muscley, tanned, dark hair, his eyes are almost black and we kinda stare at each other or send the occasional smile to each other and this morning he asked me out and I said yeah…" Melina blushed while telling the story. The whole concept of dating pretty much terrified her, she was a pretty woman and she wasn't much younger than Trish but she hadn't ever had a serious relationship.

Trish grinned at her assistant. "I'm genuinely so happy for you Mel… look at you… going on a date… I didn't think you would ever put yourself out there… you need to have some fun girl you can't be a workaholic your whole life!"

"I could say the same to you Trish…" Melina chuckled.

"I've had my fun in high school… besides I have a business too run… you however are a complete different story… you always focused on school or work it's time for you to live a little. I appreciate everything you do for this company and for me as a person… but it's time to focus on yourself a little bit…" Trish smiled before noticing the TV in the background outside a hospital with the headline 'ROCKSTAR JEFF HARDY IN HOSPITAL BELIEVED TO BE DRUG OVERDOSE'

Melina noticed the change in Trish's facial expression. "What's wrong…"

Trish told Melina to shush as she turned the news up loud and Melina also turned to look at what had captivated Trish's attention.

"I am Gail Kim, Reporting Live For NewsOfAmerica, Twenty three year old infamous rockstar Jeff Hardy known for his drug abuse and wild lifestyle has reportedly been in the Critical Care Unit in New York Hospital for the last few hours after an alleged drug overdose. Hardy, was attending his Uncle and successful investor and businessman John Bradshaw Layfield's wedding yesterday which have reports of disruption through the ceremony. CEO of StratusFashion and ex-girlfriend Trish Stratus was also reported to be at the wedding with her new boyfriend and future heir of McMahon Corporations Shane McMahon. Sources claim their was a dispute between guests at the wedding although we have no further information regarding the allegations. Hardy was later seen partying in Manhattan alongside Rapper R Truth real name Ron Killings until early hours of the morning when Killings phoned emergency services at 8:22am reporting Hardy had passed out and was unconscious. We have no knowledge on the condition of Jeff Hardy at the moment and we cannot confirm if any of the incidents from the wedding are related to the suspected overdose."

"I need to go!" Trish jumped out of her chair as she requested a car to take her to the hospital where Jeff was staying.

"Trish you have a meeting with Forbes magazine in an hour!" Melina reminded the frantic blonde. "Besides the hospital is going to be swarming with paparazzi-"

"I need to see him!" Trish rushed out of her office as she called for her driver to come and pick her up.

-x-x-x-x-

Matt, Amy and R Truth sat in the waiting room of the hospital. R Truth had told Matt and Amy all that he knew about Jeff's condition but the doctors weren't giving them anymore information.

"Dawg this is madness… They just leavin' us sat here with our dicks in our hands not knowing what's going on… homie could be dead for all we know-" R Truth panicked as he paced up and down the waiting room.

Matt looked at R Truth before gripping him up against the wall. "This is your fucking fault… you know Jeff has a problem and you don't give a fuck as long as you got somebody to party with… If he dies I swear on my parents graves I'll fucking kill you you son of a bitch!"

"Matt let him go you're going to get removed if you carry on…" Amy pushed between the boys. Matt was worried sick and Ron was feeling guilty. Matt was right but violence wasn't going to solve anything in this situation. Especially not in a hospital.

"He needs to leave before I throw him through that window!" Matt's tone was calm and he didn't raise his voice but he was stern and serious.

"C'mon dawg I love J Hardy like a brother y'all… we homies…" Ron was looking genuinely upset and concerned for the youngest Hardy's life.

Matt snarled at his brother's 'friend' before he exhaled heavily. "You're not his brother though are you… I am and that's my baby brother in that hospital bed!"

"Fuck this… I aint his fucking keeper… he's a grown ass man… you can't blame this on me…" Ron began to snap back at Matt which didn't help calm the situation down.

Amy jumped in front of Ron and Matt once again as people in the waiting room started to turn their heads at the heated argument. "Ron… you should leave…"

"He'd rather see my ass in here waiting for him than you two!" Ron hissed. "Where've y'all been for the last two years and you wanna come round here and tell me I aint waiting for my boy… d'fuck you think this is shawty."

"Look where that has gotten him… he might be dead!" Matt yelled back at Ron.

Trish appeared out of nowhere. "What do you mean he might be dead? He can't be dead…"

"Trish what are you doing here?" Matt gasped.

"What do you think I'm doing here…" Trish went straight past Matt, Amy and Ron going straight to the front desk. "I'm Trish Stratus, I just wanted a status report on Jeff Hardy is he okay?"

"I'm sorry but I can't report on his status at this moment…" The receptionist smiled sadly.

"You've been saying that for the last hour!" Amy popped up next to Trish.

Matt followed planting himself on the other side of Trish. "How would you feel if that was your brother and nobody told you how he was! This is a load of shit!"

"Sir if you and your group don't calm down I'm going to have to get security to escort you of the premises…" The receptionist was stern in her voice but still polite to the group at the same time.

"Jacqueline? It is Jacqueline isn't it?" Trish looked at the african-american woman who wasn't cooperating with her and began to plea with her. "I need to know how he is… I don't know if you watch the news or read magazines but that's my ex boyfriend in there and no matter what has happened between us I love him so much and I need to know he's alive… we all do… please we just want to know how our Hardy boy is..."

Jacqueline looked at the worried blonde and sighed. "The doctor is coming to inform you on his situation shortly… it says on his note that he was clinically dead for two minutes but was resuscitated. You will have to wait for the doctor to give you anymore information."

"So he's alive?" Trish let out a sigh of relief as Amy, Matt and R Truth stood behind her. A doctor appeared from nowhere as they stood at the reception desk.

"Jeff Hardy?" The doctor called out.

The group quickly ran up to the doctor with hopeful eyes.

"Is a family member present?" The doctor asked looking at the group in front of him.

"I'm Matt Hardy his brother how is he?" Matt asked.

"Hi Mr Hardy, I'm Dr Shawn Michaels… Your brother was found with incredible amounts of cocaine, alcohol and ecstasy in his system which his body just couldn't handle… we had to pump his stomach when his heart stopped beating and he was classed as clinically dead for 2 minutes but fortunately we were able to resuscitate him before any brain damage could occur… he's a very lucky man if he hadn't been bought in when he did he would've died… he's resting at the moment and in a stable condition but we're keeping a close eye on him." Dr Michaels spoke in an soothing and calming tone.

"So he will be alright?" Amy asked.

"Yes we believe he will… like I said we will be keeping a close eye on him but this overdose is a sign that he has been given a second chance at life… normally what happens is guilt and depression will soon take centre stage… we will be keeping him in our care for a few days while he goes through a detox which often leads to relapse but this incident is a sign that he can't stop taking drugs on his own and we would recommend receiving help from an addiction treatment centre."

"You mean like rehab?" Matt sighs.

"Yes… it's important to know that detox alone isn't enough to overcome drug addiction… in fact people usually spend their whole lives battling the disease… with the right help battling does become easier…" Dr Michaels explained.

"So are we allowed to see him?" Trish questioned her heart full of sorrow and worry.

"Yes but only one at a time we don't want to overwhelm Mr Hardy…" Dr Michaels flashed the group a half smile before leaving them to their own devices.

"I think Trish should go in first…" Amy shrugs.

"Girl are you deaf? The doc just said they don't want to overwhelm him and you wanna throw his ex in his face? She was the reason he got so fucked up last night…" Ron raised an eyebrow looking baffled at the redhead's logic.

"No I agree with Amy… I think he needs to speak to her… if anyone can get through to him about rehab it's going to be her…" Matt looked at Trish who felt nervous but nodded her head towards the group.

Trish walked away from the group as she entered Jeff's hospital room. He looked pale and drained as tubes were going in and out of him; barely able to open his eyes. Trish carefully walked over to the chair next to his hospital bed and he moved his head slightly to look at her. She had a lump in her throat but she couldn't cry… she had done enough of that for a lifetime… this wasn't about her and how she was feeling. This was about Jeff.

"How you feelin Hardy?" Trish broke the silence as she stroked his blue hair.

Jeff smiled weakly back at her. "I really fucked up didn't I…"

Trish chuckled sadly.. "Which time?""

Jeff didn't respond to his ex-girlfriend instead just coughed.

"I know you think we're all against you… Matt… Amy… myself… we're not… we just hate seeing you like this!" Trish sighed as she held his hand.

He pulled his hand away from the blonde defensively. "I'm fine..."

"No you're far from fine… you're a mess… you literally died… you have a problem. It breaks my heart seeing you like this…" Trish shook her head in disbelief of what her ex was saying to her. "The doctor said you're going to go through a serious detox but that won't be enough to help you overcome the addiction… you need to go to rehab Hardy."

"What's the point?" Jeff looked deep into Trish's eyes as he replied. "I don't have anything anymore… music is all I have… this life is all I have… I have noone."

"Matt loves you, Amy loves you, JBL loves you… you have people that care about you Jeff and will support you every step of the way." Trish smiled sadly.

"I don't have you anymore…" Jeff looked down vulnerably. "I can't do this without you!"

"You can't always rely on me to fix you Hardy… you have got to do this on your own." Trish whimpered sadly. "I do miss you and I do love you... but you're not you anymore!"

Trish stood up from the chair leaning over the rockstar as she planted a quick yet passionate and soft kiss on his lips. "Goodbye Hardy.."

-x-x-x-x-

Matt walked into his brother's hospital room as watched his brother hit rock bottom. The only way was up. At least that was what he hoped for. Matt shook his head as his brother threw up in a bucket before the brothers finally made eye contact.

"Hey baby brother…" Matt sighed shyly.

Jeff wiped his mouth from where he was throwing up unwilling to cross his brother's gaze once again. "I don't want to hear any lectures of you Matt…"

"I'm not here to lecture you… I'm here because you're my brother and because I can't keep turning my back on you anymore… you have a problem…" The raven haired Hardy brother sat on the chair next to his brother's weak and frail body.

Jeff's eyes began to water and for the first time in two years… he was beginning to feel. "I don't know how it got so fucked up! Everything's just fucked! I've lost everything-"

"You've not lost anyone Brother Nero!" Matt smiled sadly as he referenced his childhood's nickname. Jeff always hated being called Jeff and used to insist on being called Brother Nero.

"Yes I have… you… Amy… Trish… I ruined everybody's life!" Jeff avoided eye contact, leaning his head down as a single tear creeped down his pale cheek.

"We were all here when you needed us… JBL is on a flight back from his honeymoon because he's worried sick… Amy is here… I'm here… I never even phoned Trish and she was here… If you think people hate you you're so wrong… we love you… you need help!" Matt exclaimed. "You're going to get through this… I'm not going anywhere brother… not this time!"

-x-x-x-x-

Trish arrived back at her penthouse, she had phoned Melina to clear her schedule for the day and left the company in her capable hands. Her mental state was fragile and she would be no good to anyone going back to work in the state she was in.

As she left the elevator she noticed somebody was already in her living room. Chris Jericho.

She walked over to him as he looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She smiled sadly at him before approaching him and hugging him while he stroked her hair.

"I don't even know what to say Trish…" Chris sighed as the two continued to embrace.

"Don't say anything… just stay with me please…" Trish began to cry into his chest.

After an hour of no communication and watching his step-sisters favourite film The Notebook Chris finally broke the silence. "This film sucks more and more each time we watch it."

Trish threw a pillow at Chris screwing her face at him. "You suck… why didn't you tell me you seen Stephanie… scratch why didn't you tell me you were fucking her?"

"She told me not to say anything…" Chris shrugged.

"And you're supposed to be my brother!" Trish sighed.

"You do know we're not blood related right?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "It would make all the fantasies I had about you when I was 14 really, really weird…"

Trish threw another pillow at Chris.

"You're not getting these pillows back y'know…" Chris smiled smugly, Trish shot him a 'stop avoiding the subject' look and he sighed. "I should've told you about Steph and I'm sorry… she's a bit of a hot mess right now and I just thought it'd be best if you didn't see each other for a while."

"So how did you two… you know start playing tonsil tennis?" Trish arched her perfectly shaped brow in curiosity.

"We played a lot more than tonsil tennis…" Chris smiled in pride as Trish started to fake heaving noises and pretending to throw up. "I dunno she came to me saying it was the last place anybody would find her and then we started drinking because she wanted to forget about her being exiled from the McMahon will… then I shit you not she came onto me…"

"Wow she made the first move on you?" Trish gasped.

Chris nodded while his eyes went wide to emphasize the shock on his face at the time. "Yeah… then we just kinda hooked up for the month…"

"Wow I think that's the longest you ever stayed with the same sexual partner…" Trish teased. "So what are you guys like seeing each other?"

"No…" Chris looked down at the floor. "I fuckin hate the bitch!"

"Oh my god… you like her… you like like her…." Trish's eyes went wide as her jaw dropped on the floor. "Oh my god… you've fallen for Stephanie McMahon!"

"No fuck her… I don't care about her…" Chris threw his arms in the middle of chest.

"Oh my god… you actually do!" Trish gasped. "You totally have the whole Romeo and Juliet thing going on…"

"No Trish you don't get it… I mean personally I don't get it… she wants to fuck me… she doesn't want to fuck me." Chris scratched his head while raising his eyebrow at her. "She's your best friend you tell me what's going on in her head…"

"That's just Steph… nobody knows what goes in her head… I just wish we could sort things out…" Trish exhaled loudly. "Pass me my pillows back…"

Chris smirked as he threw her a pillow. Trish leaned back into the sofa resting her head on the pillow while starting the film again.

"So what about you and Shane or Jeff or whoever it is you're dating…" Chris raised an eyebrow looking at his step sister who paused the film once again.

"At this moment I don't think I'm dating anyone…" Trish shrugged. "I kinda made out with Jeff…"

"Oh my god... you slut!" Chris teased but the joke didn't go down too well with Trish. "I'm joking… but wow big news…"

"Yeah and then I stopped because I thought what the fuck am I doing… my mom was right… I have no self control and I'm a horrible person…" Trish announced dramatically.

"Wait what did Alice say to you?" Chris looked confused.

"I just had one of her uplifting mother daughter talks… nothing we haven't heard before" Trish shrugged it off sarcastically before beginning her story once again. "The point is I stopped it and told him to leave… Shane came round screamed at me about Jeff and then he left… then I found out Jeff overdosed…"

"Yeah that's kind of the reason I came here…" Chris replied. "So have you decided yet?"

"Decided what?" Trish looked confused.

"Look Trish… I don't know if you noticed but you're in a high-profile love triangle at the moment… you're dating billionaire boy wonder Shane who literally worships the ground you walk on then you have your ex writing you love songs every couple of weeks… you can't keep going on like this… you need to make a choice…" Chris raised his hands up as if to say 'what are you gonna do?'

"I love Jeff you know I do but I can't save him from himself…" Trish sighed. "And I love Shane he is such a good man he doesn't deserve to feel insecure about my ex…"

"So who you going to choose?" Chris glanced at his step sister with concern in his eyes.

-x-x-x-x-

"You need to go see him…" Matt gazed at Amy who sat in the waiting room, reading a magazine. It had been a few hours since Matt had seen Jeff, Trish had seen Jeff, R Truth had seen Jeff but Amy somehow couldn't manage to pick up the courage to face him. They were once inseparable but she felt out of place while she sat in the hospital - knowing how badly the Team Xtreme split was. She felt out of place just being back in New York.

"And say what Matt?" Amy barked at Matt as she slammed the magazine down on her knees.

Matt shrugged as he calmed her by placing a hand on her shoulders. "Start by saying hi?"

Amy peeped into Matt's eyes and sighed before nodding her head. She knew he was right.

The redhead placed her timid hand as she knocked on the hospital room before walking into see a sweating and unhealthy version of her former best friend lay in front of her. "Wow you look like shit…"

Amy didn't mean to say the words but sometimes she had no filter. Jeff couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Still the same blunt Amy then…"

Amy shook her head lightly as she stood in front of the door, closing it behind her. "Definitely not the same Amy…"

"As you can see I'm not the same Jeff…" Jeff looked at his wires throughout his body.

"I'm sorry…" The best friends said at the same time as if on cue before sharing a small, light-hearted smile.

Jeff held out his pinky finger to his estranged friend. "Friends?"

Amy nodded, her curvy smile still stuck on her face as she stepped towards him and held out her pinky finger before they locked onto each other. "Always."


	8. See Things My Way

**DISCLAIMER - I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED. LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'MY WAY - LIMP BISKIT'**

 **HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER IF YOU READ N REVIEW I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER IVE BEEN WRITING ON MY PHONE WHICH I FIND MUCH MORE DIFFICULT SO SORRY IF THERES ANY MISTAKES**

Trish lay in her bedroom which she had only just cleaned up from Shane's rampage. It had been a crazy couple of days and after her chat with Chris Jericho she knew one thing - she had a choice to make. Unfortunately she had been so busy preparing for fashion week she pushed any relationship dramas to the back of her head. She was running late for her busy day it was days like this she was lucky she had an employee like Melina that helped her in these situations. She knew Melina was definitely due a big promotion soon, Trish would definitely be in a pickle without her.

A knock on Trish's bedroom door caused her to jump. She wasn't expecting anybody. Her relationship with Shane was certainly on the rocks and they hadn't spoken properly in days. Chris had flew to Cancun for a few days promising her he would be back in time for her fashion show and release of her new line. She didn't know who else it could be.

As the door opened Trish was in shock to see who it could be. Stephanie McMahon.

Trish's jaw hit the floor as she looked at her best friend with shock evident on her face letting out a loud sigh, Trish continued to gather her things for the day ahead. "Steph… I really don't have the time to argue with you right now!"

Stephanie looked down with a reluctant look on her face. "I'm not here to argue…"

The words caught Trish's attention as the blonde glance at her brunette best friend and smiling subtly at her.

Stephanie began to speak again with no hostility in her voice. "I'm sorry Trish…"

Trish walked over to her best friend embracing her in a tight hug. "No… I'm sorry Steph… you're right… I've not been there for you and you have always been there for me!"

"Yeah well you can't always put your life on hold for me like you used too… you run a business… your dating my brother as much as it pains me to say I should've been more supportive… I've really missed you…" Stephanie's dazzling blue eyes were full of regret and apology.

Trish smiled as she pulled Stephanie into another, longer hug. "I've missed you so much Steph you have no idea! We're both as bad as each other…"

Stephanie pulled away giggling slightly. "Yeah we are both stubborn, spoilt bitches… I blame our parents…"

Trish chuckled. "Definitely…"

"Have you got time to talk?" Stephanie looked longfully at her best friend.

Trish actually didn't have the time but she had missed her best friend so much she couldn't possibly turn her away now. They had so much to catch up on. What harm would an extra half hour do when she was already running severely behind schedule. It might be just what the doctor ordered.

Trish nodded slightly towards her brunette friend and grinned. "I've always got time to talk to you… how have you been Steph… I've got so many questions! The first one being what the fuck is going on with you and Chris! Where did that come from?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the mention of his name. "I don't know… I can't stand him Trish! I never have and never will but I just needed to get away and he was the last place anybody would ever look for me and it just kind of happened…"

"It happened more than once apparently you kinky girl!" Trish kinked her eyebrow playfully at her best friend who couldn't help but smirk back at the blonde.

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders and looked as if she was deep in thought. "My dad found out and called me a slut…"

"Tell me something I don't know…" Trish teased as Stephanie glared back jokingly. "So do you like him? I know he likes you…"

Stephanie's eyes widened at the news Trish had dropped on her. "Did he say that?"

Trish nodded widening her eyes back at her best friend. "He like likes you…."

Stephanie rubbed her forehead as she processed the information. "That playboy billionaire doesn't like anything… except sex and yachts."

Trish shrugged. "Well do you like him? You're avoiding the question…"

Stephanie scowled her face at Trish's question. "Of course not!"

Trish's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. "Oh my god… you like like him too! I didn't see this coming what the hell well they say there's a thin line between love and hate!"

"Woooah slow down blondie… Love isn't even in the equation!" Steph looked nauseous at the idea of 'love' - she had never been in love before and wasn't about to start with Chris Jericho. Trish looked unconvinced as Stephanie shook her head. "Can we just change the subject… What the hell is your love life about Patricia!"

"Birth name… uncool Stephanie…" Trish frowned back at her best friend.

"I seen you on the news visiting Jeff in hospital… I bet my brother didn't take too well to that." Stephanie looked quite happy with the idea her brother was heartbroken which Trish noticed and shook her head at.

"No he didn't… I don't know where I'm at with anything all I know is Jeff's going to rehab, Shane thinks I'm still in love with my ex and I have to release my new line at Fashion Week and I've not been able to think… I just need to get tonight out the way and then I can figure out what I'm doing with my life!" Trish exhaled the sentence in one breathe as Stephanie just chuckled.

"Calm down Stratus…" Stephanie laughed. "FYI you are still in love with your ex…"

"It's not funny Steph… I'm messing with people's lives…" Trish frowned sadly. "I really should be getting going anyway… you're going to come tonight won't you? Stephanie McMahon has to be at New York Fashion Week!"

Stephanie smiled back as she gave Trish a hug one more time. "I'll be there…"

Trish separated from the brunette as she grabbed her tote bag and flashed her a serious look. "Well if you can come can you please speak to Chris… you need to sort this out."

Stephanie reluctantly nodded her head as Trish half-smiled at her and left the brunette alone in Trish's apartment with nothing but her thoughts. Was she falling in love Chris? That would be ridiculous, preposterous and very unthinkable."

'Special

You think you're special

You do

I can see it in your eyes'

Jeff was still in hospital as his body went through a nasty detox. He had gotten through the worst of it but the anxiety and depression was still very much in full effect. He sat in his hospital bed with JBL sat on the chair beside him. He had cut his honeymoon short with the news Jeff being hospitalized - family came first. He looked at Matt and Jeff as his own sons and couldn't justify being somewhere like the Maldives when all this commotion was going on.

Jeff rumbled around in his hospital bed, guilt and dread setting in. "I'm sorry JBL… I'm really sorry!"

JBL chuckled. "You've said that for the last 2 days boy… I know you are… We can book another honeymoon I want to make sure you're okay first… stop beating yourself up now son you've done well to get to this point."

Jeff nodded weakly. "It's crazy I feel like I'm coming out a dream… a nightmare even… I just don't know what I've been thinking the last few years…"

JBL sadly smiled at his youngest nephew. "I know son… you've not been thinking but you're making a change that's the main thing. You can't think about the past anymore it's gone…"

Jeff nodded, the two were interrupted with Matt and Amy laughing while on their way into the hospital room. Jeff and JBL looking at them both laughing and both men smiled at the former couple who had really come together the last few days. It slowly began to feel like old times. Amy blushed when she noticed the boys looking at her.

"What?" The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"Aw shit I forgot to get JBL's soda… I'll be right back." Matt sighed as he went back out the hospital room leaving Amy alone with two men who couldn't wait to fire questions at her.

"So you and Matt…" JBL smiled - he was still a fan of Amy and Matt despite everything.

Jeff looked joyfully between JBL and Amy before finishing JBL's sentence. "...seem to be getting along like a house on fire."

Amy blushed squinting at the her ex's brother and uncle before shrugging. "We're laughing… I mean it's a start… I've missed this… I've missed all of this… but I guess everyone will be going back to their separate ways once Jeffs in rehab…"

JBL nodded. "So have I… now Amy you do know you can stay at my house as long as you need…"

Amy smiled back at JBL. "I know JBL… I meant what I said though… I'm going to figure something out you're newly married and I need to be realistic I can't just stay with you forever…"

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "You both haven't told me why you actually came back to New York?"

Amy shot JBL a look as if to say 'please don't say anything' before JBL began to answer his nephew. "She was just a bit homesick…"

Dr Shawn Michaels walked in with Jillian as they stood at the end of Jeff's bed. Jillian sat on JBL's knee as she gave him a kiss on the tip of his nose. Dr Shawn Michaels stood in front of Jeff as he read through his clipboard. "So Jeff… We believe you're over the worst of your detox and we will be looking to discharge you in a few hours… will you be ready to go to the rehabilitation centre is this something you're really willing to try?"

Jeff looked at Amy, Jillian and JBL as he nodded his head. "Yeah… it's time to change… this Jeff Hardy I've been for the last two years… it's not working for me anymore."

Amy raised an eyebrow at her best friend shrugging slightly. "I don't think it ever was!"

'I can see it when you laugh at me

Look down on me

You walk around on me

Just one more fight'

Trish finally turned up at her work extremely late as she rushed through the office. The blonde stood in front of Melina's desk out of breath from her power walk. "I'm sorry Mel…"

"It's fine… everything's waiting for you for tonight… I have everything sorted for you and all you have to do is worry about getting there before hand to help dress the models and do the final fittings" Melina smiled.

Trish let out a sigh of relief before hugging Melina. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without you… I wanted to talk to you Melina about a promotion… I can't keep calling you my personal assistant because you're honestly so much more than that… You're a StratusFashion veteran and you basically are my Chief Operations Officer already but this time you will have the official title and pay rise to accompany with it… what do you say?"

Melina's face gleamed with excitement. "Really? I don't think I do that much around here…"

Trish almost spat out at Melina's response. She was too modest for her own good. "Melina… you do far too much for the amount you are paid… you deserve this promotion! I honestly couldn't have got this far without you…"

Melina shrugged. "I dunno… I think you're clothes are amazing, your makeup collections are flawless and your perfumes are fabulous… I think you would've definitely done this on your own."

"Well I think you are the backbone of this company…" Trish knew Melina hated compliments and didn't believe in herself completely but she really was a dedicated employee that Trish was lucky to have. She was also a good friend and moral support for the CEO. Her loyalty deserved to be paid back. "Now enough about work… How did your date go?"

Melina blushed and started beaming from ear to ear. "I've seen him four times already and he's amazing… he's so charming and kind… he's a bit of a free spirit… but he's the perfect guy… I'm even bringing him as my plus one to the fashion show tonight."

"Well I can't wait to meet him!" Trish grinned at her new COO of StratusFashion.

'About your leadership

And I will straight up

Leave your shit

Cause I've had enough of this

And now I'm pissed'

Chris went to Cancun to clear his head. His talk with Trish had made him realize one thing - he was falling for Stephanie McMahon. It wasn't good - not only because she was showing no sign of falling for him but because their families were long time rivals and the fact they couldn't stand each other. He needed to forget about the brunette. He didn't do feelings. He wasn't that type of guy and never planned to be. He was happy with his billionaire lifestyle and decided to put the whole Stephanie thing behind him.

Chris sat on the beach in the middle of Cancun as his skin soaked up the vitamin D. He still had time before he had to get a plane to New York for the revelation of Trish's new fashion line at New York Fashion Week; it was okay to be fashionably late as well.

A familiar figure appeared in front of him. Platinum white hair, super tanned skin, fake eyelashes and nails and a phenomenal body. "Didn't think you'd be back in Cancun anytime soon…" The girl smirked at the sunbathing male who was wearing his swimming trunks and Gucci flip up sunglasses.

Chris flipped the lenses up off his glasses smirking back the female. "Don't tell me I'll remember… it begins with a M."

"Maryse…" The female chuckled. "I didn't expect you to remember my name you obviously had something on your mind the last time we met… I'm surprised to see you back so soon."

Chris shrugged. "I'm full of surprises baby…"

Maryse bit her lip before placing herself next to Chris on his deck chair. "Would you mind rubbing my back in lotion?" The white haired female kinked her eyebrow seductively as she shook the bottle playfully in her hand.

Chris took the bottle out of her hand as he poured the cream on her back and began to massage it in her back.

"You've got nice firm hands…" She moaned as he began to move his hands towards the arch in her lower back.

"Not the only body part that I've had complimented on it's firmness…" He flirted back with the white haired girl who was clearly interested in him.

Maryse tilted her head and chuckled. "I don't doubt it... So what brings you back to Cancun?"

"It was a short visit… I'm going back to New York today…" Chris continued to rub his hands up and down her back. "You seem like the type of chick who like spontaneous trips… why don't you accompany me?"

"Well my mom always told me never get in cars with strange men…" Maryse teased.

"What about a private jet?" Chris winked at the white haired girl as he stopped rubbing lotion into her already tanned skin.

Maryse shook her head. "No she never said anything about private jets… you got yourself a deal Mr Rock and Rolla…"

'Yeah

This time I'm 'a let it all come out

This time I'm 'a stand up and shout

I'm 'a do things my way

It's my way

My way, or the highway'

Jeff, JBL, Jillian, Matt and Amy took JBL's limousine to drop Jeff off at the rehabilitation centre. The blue haired young man nervously cracked his knuckles, butterflies in his stomach. He didn't know what to expect. The limo was silent which didn't help with the rockstars anxiety.

"I still can't believe you have your own chauffeur… I remember when you used to ride the subway… don't stop believin ey?" Amy chuckled trying to break the tension in the car causing the passengers to chuckle.

"Those were the days…" JBL shrugged with a smile on his face.

"Life's good with lots of money I guess…" Amy chuckled as she nervously played with her fingers absorbing the tension of the company she was keeping.

It was a big step for Jeff and as nervous as he was everybody else was just as nervous for the rockstar's fate.

JBL shook his head. "Life's good when you have people around you who make you happy and love you unconditionally… anything else is a bonus!"

Matt looked at his nervous brother who stayed disengaged in the conversation as the raven haired man tapped his brothers arm causing the rockstar to break his train of thought. "We're here…" The raven haired young man nodded to his brother who nodded back weakly, uncertainty surround his naturally defined bone structure.

The group got out in front of the addiction centre and Jeff analyzed the building. It was very modern and looked really expensive. It was definitely not a community centre anyway. JBL had obviously sorted out only the best rehabilitation centre for Jeff to recover in.

"You look shocked?" JBL laughed. "I'd only get the best for you son."

Jeff looked at his family as he embraced his uncle into a big hug also swallowing the lump in his throat at the same time. "Thank you so much for everything JBL… I promise I won't let you down…"

Jeff separated from his uncle before facing the rest of his family in attendance. "I won't let any of you down!"

Matt pulled his brother into a long embrace as they patted one another on the back. "You got this bro don't let yourself down… I'll be back to visit you soon… I love you baby brother."

Jeff nodded along to his brothers word before he replied. "I love you big brother…"

The brothers finally pulled away from their long embrace before Jeff pulled Amy into a massive hug in which she began to shed a few tears, she was a bag of emotions since her return to New York… she would blame it on hormones but she was just happy to be a part of their lives again even if it was briefly.

Jeff chuckled as he heard the redhead sniffle. "You shouldn't be upset I'm the one going to drug prison!"

Amy chuckled as she didn't let go off her best friend still hugging him tightly. "I'm just happy… you're really doing this…."

Jeff chortled at his emotional best friend mostly because he never remembered her being so sentimental. "You best not run away again… I want to see you."

"You're not going to get rid of me that easily!" Amy smiled sadly as she broke their hug and Jeff gave his new aunt-in-law Jillian a brief hug before picking his bag of clothes that had been shipped to him and walking into the centre he was about to spend 28 days in.

The rest of the gang returned to JBL's limousine. It was a proud moment for everyone involved, they finally had gotten through to Jeff it may have took a near death experience but he was finally willing to change his life, to go get free from addiction and to get himself back on the right tracks. He was beginning to take responsibility for his actions and choices and most of all he was on the first step to becoming who he was always meant to be.

The rest of the group returned to the limousine. Silence captivated the air in the vehicle until JBL finally spoke.

"So Matt I know you're going back to LA tomorrow…" JBL mentioned as Amy quickly looked at Matt - she hadn't heard about him going back to LA and she felt a dread come upon her. She knew that he had a life there but she had just finally got him to speak to her and he was leaving. She didn't know what she was going to do. There was a possibility this could've been their last time together. "... Why don't you come to Fashion Week."

Matt scoffed. "I don't think I'm really the Fashion Week type of guy…"

Jillian began to get involved in the conversation, flashing a smile at her nephew-in-law and his ex-girlfriend. "We all got invited by Trish Stratus… she's releasing her new line tonight…"

Amy looked at Jillian and JBL who were speaking like they had rehearsed the whole invitation

"I just think after everything we've all been through with the wedding and Jeff's near death experience it would be nice to show up for moral support and to thank her for the wise words she said to Jeff… she was there for him when he needed her and we should return the favour on his behalf" JBL pitched the fashion show to his nephew as if he was a promoter for the event.

"Yeah sure.. why not" Matt nodded reluctantly. "Then I get on my flight to LA."

'Just one more fight

About a lot of things

And I will give up everything

To be on my own again

Free again'

People were beginning to arrive for the fashion show - everything was going smoothly to Trish's surprise. She was adamant the night would be a disaster luckily she was wrong. Trish finished the last adjustments on Torrie Wilson's grand finale outfit.

Trish accidently pricked Torrie with a needle. "Ouch!" Torrie screamed extravagantly. "That's the second time… Three strikes and your out!"

Trish chuckled weakly as she tried to regain focus. "Sorry I'm just so nervous… I just need tonight to go perfect…"

Torrie began to flash her white smile as she pushed a hand on her hip and started posing energitically. "It'll be perfect… I'd get Maria to stop drinking… She's a hot mess right now!"

Trish turned her head to look back at one of her other models for the evening Maria Kannellis. Trish heard Maria had a reputation with being high-maintenance and hard work and they had already crossed words over the evening as she wanted to model the last outfit of the night and Trish told her Torrie was the face of StratusFashion so she would be sporting the grand design of the evening - Maria didn't like how she wasn't in the spotlight and must've been drinking to annoy Trish.

Trish looked at Maria who was acting drunk and disorderly as the honey-blonde beauty walked straight over to her. "What do you think you're doing Maria!"

Maria sniggered as she poked Trish in the chest. "You need to calm down honey… Relax."

Trish could feel herself getting angry at Maria - she was immature, childish and hard to handle. Trish had been working on her new line most of the year and to get a spot in New York's Fashion Week was a dream come true she wasn't about to let some spoilt and over-confident model ruin it for her. "You don't tell me to calm down… I've hired you! I'm the boss honey…"

Maria scoffed at the cheek of the blonde, didn't she know who Maria thought she was? "You know what I don't like your attitude! I quit!!!"

Trish laughed as Maria began to take off the StratusFashion outfit she was promoting and messily threw them on her chair. Maria threw on her original clothes, throwing a middle finger at Trish as she stormed out the back door. Trish rubbed her forehead.

"We don't need her…" Trish muttered as she began to focus on Torrie's outfit once again.

"Errr… Trish… I kinda hate to admit it… but we really do need her… we're running shorts on models as it is… we only have myself, Stacy Keiber, The Bella Twins and Eve Torres!" Torrie bit her lip hating to break the news to Trish but they couldn't do the show with 5 models. They were pushing it as it was.

Trish snapped poking Torrie with her needle once again. "We're just going to have to sort something out!"

"Ouch! That's three strikes!" Torrie shrieked as she snatched the needle out of Trish's hand and poked her back causing Trish to jump and scream. "It's not very nice is it!"

Trish points her finger in Torrie's face, eyes widened. "Wilson! Don't stress me"

"Somebody get Trish Stratus a Big Mac meal and some fries!" A mocking familiar voice caught Trish's attention as she spinned round and seen her step-brother and an unknown female stood in front of her. "I told you step-sister just because you're hungry you can't shout at people…"

Trish inhaled deeply as she tried to recentre herself. "Christopher Keith Jericho I'm giving you a five second warning before I rugby tackle you out of here this whole thing is a disaster!"

Torrie chuckled as Trish was now the one being the drama queen. "It's not a disaster we lost one of our models but it's nothing that can't be fixed…" Torrie began to look at the female beside Chris Jericho as she looked extremely familiar. Suddenly it came to her. Torrie pushed past Trish and Chris and stood in front of Maryse shaking her hand frantically. "Oh my freaking god you're Maryse Oullett! You're like my fave child actress and you're married to The Miz! I'm a huge fan of your reality show I can't wait for the next season… I normally don't freak out over meeting people but you are such a big deal! "

Chris and Trish looked confused as to how Torrie knew the girl who just chuckled shaking back Torrie's hand. Trish raised an eyebrow at Chris wondering what he was doing with this girl but she couldn't get distracted from the fashion show.

Maryse chuckled as she flicked her white long extensions to the back of her shoulders. "Actually there won't be a new season… we are getting a divorce!"

Chris looked at Maryse - he realised he didn't know anything about this mysterious beauty.

"That sucks… I'm sorry about that… but can we focus please I'm a model down and everybody's started to arrive!" Trish's stress levels continued to rise as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Breathe Patricia… Breathe… in and out…."

"Well why doesn't Maryse model?" Torrie raised an eyebrow.

"Have you ever been on a runway before?" Chris whispered to Maryse in confusion as she just chuckled back to him.

"Oh my god… do you two not know who she is?" Torrie looked between Chris and Trish who shrugged in unison. "You really need to google her…."

"I haven't got time!" Trish snapped. "Marty… whatever your name is… are you in or not?"

Maryse shrugged. "Sure why not…"

"Great! Thank you!" Trish smiled letting out a sigh of relief. "Let's get you ready!"

'Yeah

This time I'm 'a let it all come out

This time I'm 'a stand up and shout

I'm 'a do things my way

It's my way

My way, or the highway'

Stephanie sat in the front row of Fashion Week posing for pictures and smiling as she noticed Chris Jericho appear from nowhere and sit on the side opposite from her. Their eyes met and Chris was the first one to look away from her.

Chris noticed Stephanie and looked away as soon as they made eye contact. He wasn't going to play the stupid games with her and besides this night was about Trish's new line. He intended to keep it that way.

Amy, Matt, JBL and Jillian arrived sitting by Chris. Chris was surprised to see them appear here. "What are you guys doing here?" Chris jumped upto the familiar faces as he embraced each of them in a brief hug before taking his seat back in his original place.

"I have no idea…" Matt chuckled. "I'm not a Fashion Week type of guy…"

JBL laughed. "He's said that 15 times in the last 15 minuted!"

"Once every minute I can believe it still a whiner then aren't you Matty boy.." Chris joked at his old friend as Matt rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yeah I'm not a Fashion Week type of girl either… I wore combats every day until the age of 16." Amy chuckled looking down at her fitted and sophisticated navy blue two piece suit which she wouldn't have been seen dead in at one point.

Chris peered at Matt and Amy - extremely confused. "Are you back together? That's cool"

Matt replied straight away. "No way man… we're cool again and we've put things in the past but we aren't ever getting back together! That's dead and gone man…"

Amy looked down as Matt's words hit her ears and felt as if a dagger had gone straight into her heart. She knew she needed to stop kidding herself - her and Matt were done. It was just making it official.

Stephanie glared while at the otherside of the runway as she watched Chris conversate with Matt, Amy, JBL and Jillian. Stephanie scowled at the group - she hated Amy and always did. Stephanie used to look down her nose at the Brooklyn girl and Matt wasn't a huge fan of Stephanie because of the way she used to pick on Amy.

Stephanie was soon joined by another former Brooklynite. Adam Copeland who sat down beside her. "Stephanie McMahon… I thought you were dead or in a ditch somewhere!"

Stephanie glanced at Adam and scowled at him. "Out of all the seats you could've sat on why did you sit next to me?"

Stephanie had met Adam vaguely when they were teenagers but she didn't like him very much. He was always friends with Amy and once again - he was from Brooklyn. Stephanie really hated Brooklyn. She was quite snobby like that. You couldn't help but love the brunette in spite of all of this. It just meant she didn't have many people who liked her in the process.

"Guess you haven't heard my company OverTheEdge has landed me a front row seat at New York Fashion Show… how does it feel to know all these Brooklynites are now more relevant than your washed out Upper East Side Ass… must hurt!" Adam smirked as he relaxed into his chair.

"Oh yeah I've heard about your company… they're calling you a Wannabe Perez Hilton." Stephanie smiled back. "You'll never be relevant Brooklyn Boy let's not kid ourselves…"

"Still as feisty as ever…" Adam chuckled. "Believe it or not I didn't sit her to argue with you… I'm here to make you relevant again… I have a proposition Steph… your falling down the social ladder really quickly… Trish is CEO of StratusFashion and dating your brother who just so happens to inherit full control of your fathers company, Chris Jericho will one day own Jericho Co, Torrie Wilson is the model and face of StratusFashion, Matt Hardy famous producer, Jeff Hardy tortured rockstar even Amy has a legacy to leave behind with Team Xtreme and she's been off the map for two years but you Stephanie… You're just kind of here…. A pretty face is only good for so long what kind of mark are you leaving on the Upper East Side apart from being somebody who peaked in high school?"

Stephanie stared at Adam as confident as she looked and unbothered by his words however deep down under the surface she knew Adam was right - she was becoming irrelevant. She was just a socialite who never got invited anywhere anymore. "So what's your point Adam…"

"My point is… Change it… become relevant again… I need somebody like yourself in my company… you know the ins and outs of these people's lives and their stories, their secrets, the skeletons in their closet your knowledge and place in the Upper East Side would help my company have a certain Edge - pardon the pun over the rest of these blogs and tabloids." Adam pitched back to Stephanie who looked confused.

"What do I get out of this…" Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"You become relevant again.. You get your name back in the world with your very own blog and your very own column which you would write with your very own words that will put you right back in the public eye… just think about it…" Adam shrugged.

Melina appeared with her new boyfriend as she took her seat on the other side of Stephanie. "Hey Steph… I've not seen you in forever how've you been?" Melina smiled as she sat next to the chestnut brunette.

Adam looked Stephanie still smirking at Melina's comment confirmed Stephanie's relevance.

Stephanie nodded weakly. "I'm fine…"

Melina sat next to her new found beau, smiling at Stephanie. "This is Dave Batista… ummm…"

Dave looked at Melina, kissing her cheek before shaking hands with Stephanie before ending Melina's sentence. "New boyfriend… nice to meet you… it's early days but I think Melina is great!"

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the new couple who were clearly obsessed over one another causing Stephanie to feel nauseous; it wasn't cute it was pathetic. "Good for you I don't really care…"

Amy, Chris, Matt, JBL and Jillian sat opposite deep in conversation when suddenly Amy looked across from her. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she began to feel sick. "I need to go!"

Amy picked herself up from the chair as she ran out of the fashion show leaving the rest of the group confused. As Matt was about to chase after her, the lights settled down as the fashion show commenced and Chris pulled the raven haired Hardy boy back down to his seat.

'Some day you'll see things my way

Cause you never know

Where, you never know

Where you're gonna go'

The fashion show went better than expected. The crowd loved the new designs and Trish's models did her nothing but proud. Maryse was a great addition to the model lineup and Torrie completely killed the finale dress. Torrie then dragged Trish out to the standing ovation and held her hand while she bowed to the crowd's reaction. It was a complete success. Trish felt an overwhelming joy and felt genuinely happy for the first time in ages.

Stephanie couldn't help but stare at Chris while he spoke to Matt as she finally rustled up the courage to go over to the young men. The brunette pushed back Matt. "Move Hardy… I need to talk to this punk…"

Matt burrowed his brow at the brunette before shrugging. "Whatever I need to check on Amy anyway… I'll see you around Chris… hopefully I won't see you Stephanie."

Stephanie flashed Matt a fake smile before locking eyes with the fair haired young man in front of her and started running a finger up and down his chest. "Maybe we should go sneak off somewhere Trish said we needed to sort this out and I think that's a very good idea…"

Stephanie bit her lip seductively as Chris pushed her hand away from his chest. "I'm done with your games Steph…"

Stephanie chuckled as she whispered in his ear. "But you always loved games…"

Chris chuckled back as he whispered into her ear and began to rub delicately on the sensitive part of her neck. "You don't play fair and I always seem to lose… now leave me alone McMahon!"

As if on cue Maryse separated the former enemies with benefits as she put a hand on Chris' back. "Hey you okay?"

Stephanie burrowed her well shaped brows as she noticed the way Maryse touched Chris who was returning the touching with an arm placed around her waist before responding to the white haired female. "Yeah lets go…"

Stephanie watched as Chris and the unknown female walked away his arm still firmly around their waist as they giggled to each other. Was she just turned down? She didn't know what hurt more; her pride or ego.

Maryse giggled along with Chris as they walked away from the brunette.

"What's funny?" Chris raised an eyebrow confused at his new formed friend.

Maryse just shrugged as she continued to giggle. "When I first met you I could see you had something on your mind… guess I finally met that something."

'Just one more fight

About your leadership

And I will straight up

Leave your shit

And you'll be the one who's left  
Missing me..'

Amy arrived back at JBL and Jillian's as she rummaged through her wardrobe and began to throw her clothes in a backpack. She didn't come with much stuff when she returned to New York but it was time for her to pack her bags once again.

"What are you doing Amy…" Matts voice echoed through the guest room in JBL's town house causing Amy to stop for a second before she returned to throwing her clothes in a bag as she struggled to zip it up.

"I can't explain to you Matt… I've just gotta get out of New York…" Amy attempted to storm past Matt who stopped her by blocking the door as their eyes connected. "Get out my way Matt!"

"Tell me what's going on Amy… why did you come back to New York? Why did you come to JBL's? What just happened in that Fashion show?" Matt asked the questions as Amy turned to face the other way standing in silence. "Talk to me Amy…"

"Why do you care we're dead and gone remember!" Amy shouted at the raven haired man inches away from his face.

They stared at each other for a split second before Matt sighed. "Tell me what's gone on Ames I can help you!"

Amy chuckled sarcastically. "No you can't Matt…"

Amy stormed past Matt down the stairs as he followed quickly behind the redhead. "Amy don't run away again!"

Amy opened the door as Matt shouted to her from the middle of the stairs, the redhead stopped as she turned slightly to face her ex lover and smiled sadly. "Why not? Worked out good for you in LA right?"

And with that Amy slammed the door leaving Matt lost and confused on the staircase wondering what she wasn't telling him.

'Yeah

This time I'm 'a let it all come out

This time I'm 'a stand up and shout

I'm 'a do things my way

It's my way

My way, or the highway'

"Come and party with us Trish the after party is going to be crazy!" Torrie beamed as she hugged Trish as everybody began to disperse from the fashion show.

Trish half-smiled while shaking her head softly. "No way I'm working tomorrow Torrie… you'll have so much more fun without me!"

Torrie raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Trish Stratus you used to be the life and soul of the party it seems all you ever do now is work!"

Trish nodded. "That's because I had to grow up Torrie…"

Torrie chuckled as she playfully rolled her eyes. "You need to act your age not your income you act like your an ancient mummified corpse!"

"You should've been an actress… you're far too dramatic to be a model!" Trish smiled. "Go have fun and I'll see you when you've recovered!"

Torrie grinned back at her fellow blonde as they embraced each other in a quick hug as Trish watched her friend merge with the other models and step into the limousine pulled up outside.

As Trish stood in the empty venue, the silence filled her soul. The dreaded realisation that she had everything she could ever want in the world and yet she still felt as empty as the venue she was surrounded by.

'Some day you'll see things my way

Cause you never know

Where, you never know

Where you're gonna go'

Matt sat in JBL's townhouse, his heart hurt once again knowing Amy had abandoned him yet again. He knew he wouldn't want to be with Amy again because he didn't trust her anymore but it was nice having her around; for a split second it was like the old times. The good times. The times that he couldn't get out of his head even after all the years that had flew past.

JBL and Jillian stumbled through the door giggling with each other as they noticed the raven haired man sat on the table, head in his hands. "What's wrong son?" JBL's voice was full of concern and worry as he spoke to his nephew.

Jillian looked around the room, scanning for signs of a certain redhead she had grew to love like a daughter. "Where's Amy? Is she okay?"

Matt looked up to his uncle and aunt-in-law as a look of hopelessness cascaded around his facial features. "She's gone…"

-x-x-x-x-

Stephanie sat in one of her father's clubs as she drowned her sorrows with plenty of Martini's. She felt lost - she didn't know her place in the world. Trish was being the successful fashion designer she had always aspired to be. Chris was finally putting her behind him not in front of him for once - a real bruise to the brunette's ego. Everyone she had went to school with was going places, moving forward and she wasn't. Adam was right. She was becoming irrelevant. Her own family had turned their back on because they had found her so unbearable.

She tried to ring Chris' phone but had encountered nothing but his annoying ass answering machine. She didn't know why she was getting so worked up about seeing him with that Maryse. She didn't even like him…

She tried to ring Trish who's phone just continued to ring out. The brunette understood why. Her best friend had just been involved in one of the biggest fashion events of all time and had to go back to run her company tomorrow. She didn't need her problems right now.

Stephanie looked at the news and seen a report regarding the McMahon family- the successful father, the respected mother and the debonair son who would guide McMahon Corporations into the future. Once again no report of the youngest McMahon she was as Adam said irrelevant.

As she downed the last gulp of her cocktail - the long line of many she had consumed that evening. She found herself making her way upto the roof of the club. It was somewhere she would come in high school with Trish when either of them would need to clear their head after a night of underage drinking. They'd talk about their future lives how happy they would be; it was another reminder of how little Stephanie had done since high school.

Whether it was the alcohol or real emotion. The overwhelming emptiness came across her and she felt like she had no other option. What was the point in anything.

Blurry eyes guided her to the edge of the roof as she looked down 60ft. The alcohol was making movement harder for her and her movements were sloppy. She put a foot out - her life in her own hands.

"Step away from the edge!" A masculine voice shouted to her causing Stephanie to turn and lose balance.

This was it…

An instant regret hit Stephanie… she didn't want this… she was feeling sorry for herself… she was acting completely out of a character… this wasn't who she was… somebody who gave up.

Suddenly she felt herself being caught and dragged up to the roof surface. She was lucky somebody was there - the man's quick reflexes were the only she was still alive.

Funny as it sounded she had never felt so alive than in that moment when she thought it was all about to end.

She fell onto the man as he pulled her back to safety, landing over his body. He had long golden brown hair slicked back into a ponytail, deep hazel eyes and trimmed facial hair. He was muscular and well built which worked in Steph's favour.

The two made eye contact as the man finally spoke. "Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head slightly. "Alcohol and roofs obviously don't mix… sorry about that… thanks for saving me!"

"I don't think Mr McMahon would be happy if his head of security let his princess drop off a roof…" the man replied back as Stephanie scoffed

"I don't think he would care that much!" Stephanie muttered as she picked herself up off of the man. "What's your name?"

"Hunter… you used to come in here when you were significantly underage… you dad has always told me to keep an eye on you." The man grinned as he analysed the beautiful brunette up and down.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Well Hunter if you would kindly not mention this to my father it would be much appreciated."

With Stephanie's last words the brunette dusted herself off, picked herself up, held her head high and marched out of the club with a purpose.

She got out her mobile as she dialled a number. "We have a deal."

-x-x-x-x-

"Was that you on the radio?" A bearded, scruffy man entered Jeff's room as he finally turned of the music channel.

Jeff was already regretting his decision to come to rehab. How was he going to cope in her for the next month?

The blue haired man nodded bluntly showing no signs of wanting to the further the conversation.

The man ignored Jeff's signs as he came in to the rockstars room and planted himself at the bottom of his bed and began smiling. "That's cool man so you're the rockstar! Awesome dude…"

Jeff raised an eyebrow as she nodded politely. "Thanks man…"

"I know I don't know you but I've heard your music and seen ur face from the news… you've made the right decision… it won't be easy… this is my fifth time in here the last three years but it's a start!" The man stated as she scratched as his messy, overgrown, brown wavy locked.

He had missing teeth and part of his ear was missing. He wore grey sweats, a dirty t shirt and a red and black checkered shirt. He didn't look the most hygienic but a smile stayed plastered on his face.

Jeff just nodded unsure of how to respond to the man. "Time will tell…"

"Well have a nice day… I'll see you tomorrow!" The man picked himself up of the bed and began to walk towards the door.

"What's your name?" Jeff raised an eyebrow as the man was about to exit.

"I'm Mick… Mick Foley…"

-x-x-x-x-

Chris and Maryse sat in The Codebreaker in the rooftop bar. It seemed alcohol was a theme for the night as they were extremely drunk.

Chris's phone buzzed once again and he clicked the red button on his screen.

Maryse kinked an eyebrow at her newly formed friend. "So that girl is she your girlfriend or?"

Chris spat out his drink dramatically. "No way I can't stand the bitch…"

"Denial… very cute." Maryse smirked.

Chris glared at the female opposite him as he decided to change the subject. "So how come you never told me you were married or famous even…"

"What's famous? We're all famous in our own way…" the female chuckled. "You never asked about my life so I never told you…"

Chris shrugged. "So what were you doing in Cancun that time…"

"Holiday with the girls is the best way to mend a broken heart…" Maryse raised an eyebrow. "Now are we going to talk or are we going to do what you bought me to New York for…"

"Sounds like your in a messy situation don't want to make things more complicated for you…" Chris grinned.

"I think your in a more complicated situation than me honey…" Maryse bit her lip as she smirked with a seductive look on her face. "I think we've had enough of complicated… why don't we just go back to basics… one girl… one guy… no clothes…"

With no hesitation Chris grinned as he took the females hand and escorted her back inside the Codebreaker.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish looked in her memory box which was crumpled and ripped from Shane's rampage. Silence followed her through her soul less penthouse. It had beautiful views, beautiful interior and yet she didn't want any of it. She wanted to find herself again. She had never realised how lost she actually was.

"Hey…" Shane's voice erupted the silence as Trish looked up to find her boyfriend who she hadn't spoke to properly since their huge bust up.

Trish avoided his eye contact as she put her ripped up photos back in the box. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting my girlfriend so we can put all of this behind us once and for all…" Shane's voice was calm and soothing, his tone apologetic as he sat next to Trish on the bed.

Trish scoffed as she picked herself up off of the bed. "I don't think we can put this behind us Shane…"

Her words weren't what the young McMahon heir wanted to hear and he could feel his blood begin to boil as she continued to speak.

"I don't think we're right for each other… we're bringing out the worst in each other! I'm not happy and you can't be happy maybe we should stop pretending… maybe we should put each other out of our misery and just end it now…" Trish could see the venom in Shane's face as he tried to remain calm and collective. He rubbed his forehead as he moved closer to Trish backing her up against a wall.

"You stupid slut… my father warned me about you… you want to be with Jeff Hardy is that it? That drug abusing waste of talent! I could give you ten times more than he could!" Shane wasn't shouting but his words were viscous as he snarled in the blonde's face. Her heart was racing as he still caressed her face during the verbal attack.

Trish gulped as she cautiously replied. "I don't want to be with anyone. Not him. Especially not you!"

Shane's fuze blew as he punched the wall next to Trish's head causing her to tremble slightly as she closed her eyes and wished the moment would just go. The constant vibrating of her phone caused Shane to take his attention off of the frightened blonde in front of him.

Shane took a deep breath as he moved away from her. Trish relaxed slightly as she watched him leave her penthouse. A sigh of relief escaping her lips.

A feeling in the pit of her stomach told her this wouldn't be the last time she seen Shane McMahon.


	9. Losing Your Memory

**DISCLAIMER - I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY**

 **A/N - sorry for the slow updates typing on my phone is harder for me but I'm trying to keep the chapters coming! This chapter is the first of two parts of the same day... please read and review! Let me know if ur still interested in this story! I mean I'm still going to write regardless it's just nice to know your opinions.**

It was the start of the weekend, the first Friday in two whole years that Jeff wouldn't be out putting anything up his nose or ingesting some illegal substance or even drowning himself intoxicated. It felt strange. He was currently sat on his bed when his door swung open, signalling it was the time to go ahead with his day.

Although Jeff had only been in the rehabilitation centre for a couple of days, he was beginning to understand the very structure and organised day. He was told it was help minimise stress while in the addiction centre and reduced uncertainty.

Jeff still hadn't been won over. He really wanted to become clean and change his life (lord knows he needed too) but it was all still new and wasn't convinced therapy and yoga sessions would abolish the demon inside him.

The blue haired man knew he had a certain amount of time to get ready. 15 minutes to be exact. The day was beginning to go a lot faster as he began to understand how the day would go. A healthy breakfast with the other addicts, a morning meeting, a group therapy session, a healthy lunch, individual therapy session and today he would have a family and friends visit which were allowed Fridays and Saturdays.

Jeff was looking forward to this - apart from the weird but harmless Mick Foley, the rockstar hadn't been socialising openly with the group. Mostly because he just wanted it over with, he wanted to skip to the part where he was clean and healthy and getting his life back on track; not realising he already was on the way.

Jeff threw on a burgundy velvet tracksuit which he left the hooded top open so you could see his white vest with some new trainers. When he came to the centre - Amy, Matt, JBL and Jillian all bought himself new comfortable clothes so he would feel more relaxed.

The rockstar made his way to the communal dining area and sat himself at the edge of a table further away than most of the group. He began to eat his healthy breakfast - yogurt, muesli and fruit.

Mick planted himself next to the blue haired young man, still wearing the same crappy clothes that he had been wearing the last few days. "I love myself some yoghurt and muesli…"

Jeff silently nodded along to his fellow addict. After living on a diet of alcohol, weed, cocaine and ecstasy for the last two years with minimum food in between it was as if the rockstars body was still adapting to the goodness making its way in his body.

Mick and Jeff barely spoke not from a lack of effort from the older male's part. Jeff just didn't want to get too friendly with anyone - he wanted to do his time in the rehabilitation clinic then be on his way. Jeff didn't know much about Mick but he always seemed cheery enough. Never wondering why the man had gotten himself in the place in the first place. Truth be told - Jeff wasn't interested.

The group then made their way to their meditation class. They sat peacefully on the yoga mats as their councillor guided them in the meditation. Jeff didn't believe in meditation and finding your inner peace he thought it was bullshit but the more he did it the more he was beginning to feel the effects that meditation was having on him.

Regaining his zen, Jeff and the rest of the group made their way to the next part of their day. Group therapy. Jeff really was trying to become more involved but he was still very blocked off.

The councillor was noticing Jeff's will to change but also noticed he wasn't willing to engage completely in the group. The councillor was an older man with white hair and blue eyes, his aged face showed signs of patience and wisdom. He introduced himself to Jeff as soon as he arrived. His name was Ric Flair.

Mick stood up in front of his fellow inmates as he was being questioned by the councillor.

"So Mick… why do you believe you keep relapsing?" Ric asked eagerly, he always looked very captivated by the addicts stories and he was passionate about his job. Believing in the best of people.

Mick sighed momentarily before the same carefree and crooked smile returned his lips, barely viewable through his messy and overgrown beard. "I find it hard to cope with reality… I guess…"

Ric nodded as processed the information before returning to questioning Mick. "And why do you believe this time will be any different? What's going to stop you from relapsing once again?"

Mick shrugged. "I'll probably end up dead if I don't stop now it's now or never! My wife has told me this is the last time or she will divorce me and take my kids away from me… it really is the drugs or my family and I have to do something!"

Ric and the rest of the group clapped, Jeff looked disengaged in the group conversation which didn't go unnoticed by the white haired councillor.

"So Jeff Hardy… the troubled rockstar… we are still learning about you… we haven't established when your drug problem actually started… please fill the group in to the first time you ever tried drugs!"

The blue haired man looked at his group who looked eager to hear about when all the trouble started.

 _The anniversary of his parents was coming up. It was a hard time of the year for both Matt and Jeff - Matt was open about his feelings and handled them a lot better. Jeff was never a fan of opening up, it was hard for him. He struggled with dealing with his emotions._

 _At this time Trish and Jeff were going strong as a couple. Completely and utterly in love together - her mother Alice hated the idea of them together and believed Jeff wasn't a good influence on Trish. Mostly because he wasn't a man she wanted her daughter to be with - tattoos, piercings, rebellious attitude; didn't fit in with the upper east side elite._

 _The couple were out attending one of her mothers and Ted Jericho's charity galas. Jeff hated these events mostly because it was another reason for Alice to degrade Jeff or Trish._

 _JBL had ordered a smart designer tux for Jeff to wear, his hair hadn't been dyed his crazy blue and purple instead his hair was natural dark but slicked into a man bun at the back of his head. Despite his best efforts - he still didn't look the part._

 _Alice always believed John Cena was a better match for Trish - now that was a man that looked the part. Jeff was just a country boy trying to fit in the big world of Manhattan._

 _Trish took Jeff's hand as they stepped into the huge hall that was being held for the event. There wasn't an event in the world like an upper east side event._

 _Trish was wearing a glamorous, gold sequinned designer gown that sculpted around her curves effortless. Sexy and classy - that was always Trish's style. Her make up was simple and light as she was always naturally stunning. Her hair was pin curled to one side enough that you would noticed the long, shimmering diamond earrings hanging gracefully down her ear to the middle of her neck._

 _She was stunning - an angel. Jeff knew from the first moment he met her she was in his words 'out of his league' and the fact she was always pictured to be with somebody who matched her social status like John Cena did make the young man very insecure. He felt he wouldn't ever be good enough for her mother or for Trish._

 _This was far from the truth. Trish loved Jeff for who he was - she loved how unique he was. He was different to anybody she had ever met and he opened her eyes to life outside of the Upper East Side which she had always been groomed into being a part of. She knew he loved her for the person she was inside and not for her money, status or family name._

 _"You've got this babe… thank you for coming with me… I promise I won't leave you with the wicked witch of the upper East Side at any point!" Trish smiled at Jeff as she kissed his cheek._

 _Jeff gave her a half smile back but truly he was nervous - Alice Jericho (formerly Stratus) was a piece of work. He couldn't help but let her get under his skin._

 _The two spent the night socialising but Jeff hated every minute of it. He would only do the events because he loved Trish._

 _"You look like you're having a ball!" Chris Jericho approached Jeff sarcastically handing him a silver flask._

 _Jeff chuckled taking the flask and sipping it. "You know how I love these events Jericho!"_

 _"Don't we all? Where is my ugly step sister by the way why's she not protecting you from the grasps of my evil stepmother…" Chris chuckled as he grabbed the flask back._

 _Jeff shrugged and chuckled at Chris' sarcasm - Chris often teased Trish but his words about Alice were his real opinion. Not everybody was a fan of Alice. "We kind of get seperated Steph wanted to talk to her… you know what girls are like…"_

 _Like a predator spotting it's pray Alice eyed up Jeff and Chris before approaching them both. "Christopher, darling, your father would like to speak to you…"_

 _Chris looked at Jeff who sighed slightly knowing exactly why Alice wanted Chris to leave._

 _"I'll find him later when Trish is back wouldn't want to leave Jeff alone…" Chris politely replied to his step mother who began to frown._

 _"It's not good manners Chris… now go find your father." Alice looked at Chris smiling - a frightful smile which looked completely false on her face. "Don't worry I won't bite…"_

 _"Your bark is enough…" Chris muttered as he received a death glare from his stepmother and sighed defeated. "I'll see you later Jeff I'll tell Trish you're looking for her…"_

 _Alice flashed a false smile towards her daughters boyfriend. "Jeffrey you're a hard boy to get rid off… I will give you credit… how you've managed to keep my daughter interested for so long is beyond me…"_

 _Jeff sighed. "Always a pleasure to see you Alice…"_

 _"Please call me Mrs Jericho." Alice barked. "When will you realise young Hardy… you don't belong here… you don't belong with my daughter… you don't belong in this world… my daughter loves you for some unknown reason and all you will ever do is hold her back."_

 _"You hold her back actually… the way you put her down and make her feel like she's not good enough… you belittle her… embarrass her… try and force her to be with someone she's not happy with she will start to think that's normal… great parenting skills Alice." Jeff shot back but Alice was cold as ice. It would take more than a few words to to break her or get under her skin._

 _Alice smiled evilly as she took in every word that he said. "How would you know about parenting? Aren't your parents dead? They obviously weren't any good at either the way you've turned out maybe it's a blessing that they didn't see how much of a disappointment you will be…"_

 _Trish noticed Alice and Jeff, eyes widened she approached them both._

 _Jeff couldn't help it. It was light a button switched._

 _"My parents are twice the people you'll ever be… you're an evil, vindictive, manipulating little bitch! You're lucky you're a female or I'd take your head off for talking about my parents like that!"_

 _The crowd began to stare at the commotion as the drama began to unfold, Alice smirking knowing she had gotten the better of her daughters boyfriend._

 _"Are you threatening me darling? I knew you were a no good thug…" Alice hissed back._

 _Out of nowhere Trish appeared to intervene. "Cmon Hardy lets get out of here…" her voice was soothing as she placed a hand delicately on her boyfriends bicep._

 _Jeff gritted his teeth angrily before he stormed out of the hall. Alice still smiling as she waved them goodbye smugly._

 _"Why did you let her get to you?" Trish sighed as Jeff still fumed as he marched in front of her._

 _Jeff spinned around to view his girlfriend, his face clenched from the anger._

 _"Why did you leave me alone you know I hate things like this!"_

 _Trish raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Don't blame me? I can't always be there to save you Hardy and no matter how you feel about her she's still my mother!"_

 _"She shouldn't be able to call herself a mother!" Jeff spat angrily._

 _"You shouldn't let her get to you have some self control!!!" Trish exhaled._

 _"I can't believe you're defending her!!!" Jeff gasped._

 _"I'm not defending her! Just walk away! If you can't do that maybe we shouldn't be together!" Trish burrowed her brow in frustration instantly regretting the words she said._

 _Jeff's eyes widened. "Fuck it then! I don't know why I bother! Maybe we shouldn't be together!"_

 _Trish stubbornly replied not wanting to back down. "Fine!!!"_

 _Jeff marched ahead of her once again before turning his head to shout back. "Fine!"_

 _Jeff stormed down the road as Trish looked on in anger before stepping into her limousine._

 _Jeff was furious. He couldn't believe Trish didn't have his back against her mother when she knew exactly what she was like and how evil her words could be. Maybe he should've dealt with it better but certain things triggered his anger - His parents was one of those things. He never dealt with their death healthily and he never healed himself after they died._

 _Out of nowhere he felt somebody put his hands on him. Jeff clenched his fist as he turned to look around ready to hit somebody until he seen who it was. Chris Jericho._

 _"Woah chill man… I seen what happened I just thought I'd come and check on you!" Chris explained as he backed away from Jeff._

 _Jeff dropped his fist as he breathed deeply. "Sorry bro… my heads all over… my parents anniversary is coming up then Alice got into my head and Trish said she's done with me and we shouldn't be together-"_

 _"Dude you and Trish will be fine you both need time to cool off why don't you come to the Codebreaker with me and forget about everything for a while?" Chris interrupted._

 _Jeff reluctantly nodded his head in agreement as they walked back to his limo._

 _The two arrived at the Codebreaker as Chris entered the presidential suite. Chris would often party in there and got away with it - his father never worried to much about Chris it was his businesses that took all his attention leaving Chris to do as he pleased._

 _The night began to escalate… music began to get louder, alcohol bottles began to empty and the two were smashed. Jeff lay drunk on the sofa._

 _"Its hard trying to fit into this world you know…" Jeff slurred as his eyes were shutting in a drunken state. "I love Trish so much and I just worry sometimes that being from two different worlds is too much for us… I feel like it will end us."_

 _"The only thing that will break you two up is you!" Chris scoffed as he picked up a small bag of white powder and began to chop it out on the table._

 _"Woah what you doing man!" Jeff's eyes opened completely as he watched Chris chop up two lines. "You take drugs?"_

 _"Sometimes it's nothing man just a bit of fun…" Chris chuckled. "This party needs a serious lightening up right now dude!"_

 _Chris looked at the line then looked at Jeff._

 _"You don't have too if u too pussy…" Chris teased as he took a hundred dollar bill and rolled it up and began inhaling the cocaine. "Look it's nothing… it just wakes you up and makes you have a good time… it's not like you're going to get addicted… I've took it for years and I don't crave it just sometimes I want a good time…"_

 _He offered Jeff the hundred. Jeff was unsure but decided against his better judgment and took the note out of his hand. "Fuck it once won't hurt…"_

 _After a night of heavy drinking, drug taking and drunken chatter - Jeff slipped out of Chris' apartment as the young billionaire crashed out face first in his leather sofa._

 _Jeff stood outside the presidential sleep as he phoned his girlfriend - regret and guilt slipping into his mind regarding the following night._

 _"Morning… I know it's early… I know you've been trying to phone me… I know Trish… I'm sorry… you were right… I'm going to make it upto you… I do love you you know that right… yeah I'm just a bit drunk… I want you know Trish I do love you… I'm going to marry you one day… what do you mean I'm just drunk… I mean it… you're the love of my life and I will marry you one day… alright I'll get some sleep… I'll see you later"_

Ric looked onto the zoned out young rockstar waiting for a response has he obviously flashbacked to his first time. "Well Jeff?"

-x-x-x-x-

With Melina taking on more responsibility at StratusFashion - Trish found she had less stress in the last few days. Which was exactly what she needed.

Her split from Shane had put the young CEO on edge as she had received non stop phone calls of the McMahon heir. It had turned into borderline harassment.

Trish was strolling through Central Park with her step brother Chris Jericho. It was the longest he had stayed in New York for a while without flying off to somewhere else.

"So have you spoke to Steph? I'm worried about her she's just ignoring my calls…" the blonde sighed as she sipped her caramel Frappuccino.

Chris scoffed. "No. Fuck her."

Trish raised an eyebrow at her step brother: "C'mon Chris… don't be like that…"

"She made it like this… I'm done running around trying to make her feel better… you reap what you sow." Chris shrugged as he finished his Frappuccino and placed the empty carton in the trash can. "You see what I did with this Frappuccino that's what I've done with my feelings for Stephanie… put them in the bin."

Trish couldn't help but chuckle at her dramatic step brother. "You really liked her didn't you…"

Chris paused silent for a moment before a wave of confidence rushed over his face. "Nah she was just a good fuck…"

Trish shrugged. "I can't tell you or Steph what to do but I just think you both need to grow up, stop playing games and admit to each other you're feelings… you obviously both care about each other whether you admit it or not."

Chris didn't respond to the blonde's words instead just brushed off Trish's opinion, quickly changing the subject. "While we're on the subject of McMahon's - still getting stalked by the boy wonder?"

Trish chuckled nervously. "He really doesn't like the word 'no' it's kind of scary how different he's being compared to when we first met… I mean I know Jeff has been an ass hole but it's like I never even knew the real Shane atall…"

Chris clenched his fist has he waved it in the air. "Give me the word Stratus and I'll punch that punk!"

Trish giggles as she pushed Chris's hand back down to his side. "You're not 17 anymore Chris… violence isn't the answer."

"No but it would make me feel better!" Chris shot back as Trish just smiled back at him.

 _It was freshman year… Trish and Stephanie sat in her mother's penthouse. The penthouse was decorated grandly with modern and contemporary pieces of art everywhere, a funky colour scheme and futuristic appliances._

 _Trish and Stephanie were new to Sacred Hearts. It had been a few weeks since they had started but they had already began to secure their social status in the social ladder of the prep school._

 _Trish had her blonde haired in a messy bun as she sat in her silky red pyjama top and shorts detailed with black lace. Her silk dressing down open revealing her already evident curves. Her matching red toes rested on a pair of fluffy red sliders._

 _Stephanie wore a black silk nightie, she was still quite skinny compared to Trish - puberty hadn't been kind to Stephanie yet unlike Trish who still looked like a woman despite her age. Stephanie had her messy wavy brown hair up in a ponytail as she lay in a fluffy black dressing gown._

 _They always had slumber parties since they could remember. They always had them at Trish's place as it was just her and her mom since her parents had a divorce - mostly just Trish as her mom was never really any good at being a parent._

 _Alice Stratus walked in to the living room to find Trish and Steph sat on the velvet corner sofa watching Breakfast at Tiffany's._

 _"Jesus Christ Patricia put some clothes on!" Alice shrieked as she looked at her young daughter._

 _Trish frowned. "They're pyjamas mom…"_

 _As Trish and Steph looked up they were surprised to see Ted and Chris Jericho stood next to Alice._

 _Trish and Steph had met Chris briefly but recently they were seeing more of him than they hoped as he was in their year and most of their classes in Sacred Hearts. He was an arrogant ass hole._

 _Stephanie and Chris hated each other - their family names made immediate rivals of each other. Chris was arrogant and smug and would make comments about her family. Stephanie had her short temper and Chris knew how to push her buttons. They instantly hated each other._

 _Trish being Stephanie's best friend immediately backed her up and defended the brunette against Chris. Which resulted in Chris flirting with the blonde to annoy Stephanie even more._

 _What was he doing with Trish's mom?_

 _"I think Patricia looks quite ravishing… please don't change on our behalf… it's quite the view." Chris teased as he licked his lips at the blonde in which Stephanie and Trish pulled a face of disgust._

 _Ted slapped Chris over the head. "Keep it in your pants son…"_

 _"I have some news Patricia… it might come to a shock to you…" Alice spoke formally as she always did. It was a good way to mask her unremarkable personality._

 _"You're going to rehab for your addiction to prescription pills?" Trish smiled sarcastically at her mother as Stephanie couldn't help but chuckle in the background trying not to cause attention to herself._

 _"My daughter the comedian…" Alice sighed looking as disappointed as ever. "Actually Patricia… I'm here to tell you… I'm getting married…"_

 _Trish began to chuckle. "Oh mother you're funnier than I'll ever be…"_

 _Alice, Ted and Chris stood in silence as they watched Trish. Her hazel eyes glued to the television believing she had to be a part of a practical joke show._

 _Stephanie nudged her best friend. "T… I don't think she's joking…"_

 _Trish chuckled at the brunette. "Cmon who would want to marry that?"_

 _The penny dropped as Trish looked at her mother then Ted Jericho then Chris Jericho._

 _"No…" Trish gasped. "You're marrying a Jericho!"_

 _Chris smirked as he winked at the blonde. "Good morning step sister… you'll be seeing a lot more of me!"_

 _Trish's eyes widened. "What the fuck!"_

-x-x-x-x-

Matt sat in business class on his flight back from New York to LA. He had postponed going back to the city for a while and with Jeff settled into rehab, he knew he needed to go back and sort his shit out.

Matt loved airplanes - something about them made him relax. Maybe because those few hours where he was in the air; he had no responsibilities, no family drama, no unresolved feelings, no business to attend to.

Amy disappearing once again had took its effect on Matt - the whole situation was complicated. He didn't know how he felt. He knew he loved her, he knew a part of him always would, he knew he worried about her, he knew he couldn't trust her again. He knew a lot of things; but he couldn't figure out what made her leave this time.

Matt sat comfortably as he gulped down his complementary alcohol beverage. He leaned back into his seat as he picked up a book - 5 People You Meet In Heaven.

Matt used to love to read in high school - in fact Matt was always the brainier of the brothers and very intellectual. He was offered a place to a few Ivy League Colleges which he turned down to be in Team Xtreme. He hadn't read a book in so long and JBL had noticed that's why he got the book for Matt to read on his way back to LA.

As he began to read the book, a random flashback hit the raven haired young man.

 _They still lived happily in a small house in Cameron, North Carolina. Their parents had their own land with a lake and they were very content with their lives._

 _Matt would spend time reading, writing, studying while Jeff was always the wild one - riding motorbikes, being a graffiti artist, being a daredevil often got him in trouble with authority. Two brothers, two different lifestyles._

 _Jeff sat around the campfire they had in the backyard every weekend with his friends from Cameron. Rob Van Dam - he was Jeff's best friend and as much as a daredevil as him. Rey Mysterio - he was also a part of Jeff's crazy group of friends, he was a small Mexican boy who had only recently moved to Cameron. Phillip Jack Brookes who liked be known as CM Punk - he was the rich boy in Cameron, someone bought up with a silver spoon in his mouth, everything between him and Jeff was a competition and Matt didn't like him. He could tell he wasn't a good friend to Jeff._

 _Matt was on the porch reading a book- Matt didn't really have any of his own friends, he didn't like many people in Cameron and was just quiet. He always planned to move out of Cameron but he never thought it would be to his mother and fathers death._

 _Matt overheard Jeff and his friends laughing and joking as they snuck some of his father's beer out of the fridge and began to sneakily drink._

 _"Why is your brother so weird man?" CM punk chuckled as he finished the last of his second beer. "We're here - we got beer and good company but he would still rather sit on his own reading a stupid book."_

 _Jeff shrugged before he shot back at his frenemy. "He wants to go to college… he's going to have to earn it unlike you Punk…"_

 _Rob looked at his best friend getting defensive and decided to join in. "Yeah at least he can read and not get his maid to read it for him…"_

 _Rey started laughing with Jeff and Rob. "Yeah… good one man… read it for him… ahahaha!"_

 _CM Punk secretly despised Jeff Hardy mostly because he was authentic. He wasn't trying to be something he wasn't and it made CM Punk very insecure. Everybody loved Jeff Hardy and that made him hate him more - but he knew if he had a problem with Jeff, Rob would have a problem with him and it wasn't worth the drama._

 _"He's a fucking nerd who's going to be a virgin at 45… he needs to lighten up!" CM Punk hit back as he grabbed a beer can and stumbled over to Matt._

 _"Leave him alone Punk!" Jeff yelled as he watched his supposed friend make his way over to Matt._

 _CM Punk continued to ignore Jeff as he slammed the beer on top of the table where Matt was reading his book. Breaking Matt's attention the two raven haired men glared at each other._

 _"What's your problem?" Matt raised his voice slightly as CM just chuckled back at him. The smell of a brewery lingering over him._

 _"I think you need to drink the beer!" CM chuckled as he pushed the beer into Matt's chest this time._

 _"Hey leave it man!" Rob yelled as he followed Jeff over to the commotion._

 _"I don't want to drink the beer!" Matt hissed back._

 _"Cmon Punk leave it man!" Rey pleaded as he began to follow Rob and Jeff to the commotion._

 _"I told him to drink the beer!" CM snarled._

 _"He doesn't want to drink the beer you moron now leave my brother alone!" Jeff began to feel his temperature rise as he watched Punk continue to annoy his older brother. Even though Matt was older, Jeff was more likely to get in a brawl._

 _"Fine!" CM chuckled maliciously as he poured the beer over his book instead. "Guess he won't be reading either!"_

 _As if on instinct Jeff rugby tackled Punk before Matt even had a chance to blink. The two supposed friends wrestled on the floor as Jeff came out the more dominant and repeatedly punched CM in the face._

 _"Jeff stop it man! That's enough!" Matt shouted._

 _Matt, Rey and Rob attempted to get Jeff off of Punk but his anger was getting the best of him. He was like the Incredible Hulk when he started. You didn't want to see him angry._

 _"What in the hell is going on here?" A deep, southern voice echoed through the garden causing the young boys to stop. Jeff looked up to see his father watching him as he had finally let go of CM punk and his knuckles were all bruised and bloody._

 _Matt looked down looking guilty as well as Rob and Rey who finally managed to get Jeff to his feet._

 _"He was picking on Matt so I taught him a lesson pop!" Jeff yelled out defensively._

 _Gilbert Hardy was a fair man, he was strict when he needed to be but straight down the line type of guy. He worked as a tobacco farmer and was very old school. Gilbert investigated the area analysing all the evidence. "Ruby will you get the boys some ice…"_

 _Gilbert noticed the beer cans, the soaked book and the disruption of their back garden that was caused by the fights. "Now you boys run along now…"_

 _Rey and Rob scattered from the Hardy resident as CM Punk picked himself up as touched his swollen lip and bleeding nose. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers Hardy!"_

 _"You'll be hearing from mine son if you want to go down that route the book you ruined was an original print of an old classic! So how about we all put this behind us I'm sure you wasn't innocent yourself Mr Brooke's! Your father may want to know about your behaviour!" Gilbert replied as CM Punk stormed off._

 _Gilbert looked at Matt and Jeff. "Jeff you're grounded!"_

 _Jeff scoffed. "I was defending my brother lord knows he won't defend himself!"_

 _Gilbert frowned. "Matt uses his brain while you Jeffrey use nothing but your firsts! You won't be able to punch your way out of everything in life and you also rob my beer! I'm getting sick of your behaviour!"_

 _Jeff kicked the beer can over the garden. "Screw you, screw all of you!"_

 _Jeff began to stomp through the garden and darted through the house past his mother._

 _"Jeffrey Nero Hardy don't you dare disobey my order!" Gilbert screamed through the house following after him._

 _Ruby looked upset as she tried to reason with her youngest child. "Jeff… honey… please listen to your father!"_

 _Jeff ignored the calls of his mother and father as he went straight onto his motorbike that he drove illegally and sped off into the distance._

 _Matt frowned as he watched the whole scene. "I'll go find him if you want pops!"_

 _Gilbert shook his head in frustration, Jeff intentionally made a statement with the motorbike and had promised to sell the bike and get one when he was of a legal age. "No don't worry me and your mom will find him we need a serious word with him you stay here and clean up the garden for me son…"_

 _Matt nodded and smiled sadly. "No problem."_

 _"You're going to be a fine man when you're older son… we're very proud of you!" Ruby smiled as she kissed her oldest child on the cheek._

 _"We will be back later…" Gilbert stated._

 _They never did get back. It was that night that Gilbert and Ruby died in the car crash. While looking for their youngest child._

Matt snapped out of his flashback, his hidden anger that he held in for years once again returned to his gut. Why did Jeff always have to be so difficult - he often wondered what would've happened that night if Jeff had just listened to his parents for once in his life.

-x-x-x-x-

Adam was running late - very out of character for the young Brooklynite. Wearing his casual yet smart, navy blue trousers and black polo neck he skidded across the road barely able to keep his cappuccino in its packaging. His shoulder length, sandy blond, wavy hair ran wild as the wind swept the young man.

As the owner of On The Edge crossed the crazy streets of Brooklyn - almost getting himself turned into road kill in the process, he finally made it outside of his offices.

It wasn't like Wall Street or the Upper East Side, he didn't have skyline views of New York like StratusFashion offices. On The Edge was different - Adam had converted the fourth and top floor of an old loft building into his work haven.

His offices dress code was smart casual and the genuine vibe of the office was laid back, comfortable with ping pong tables and chill out areas and vibrant colours and plants to liven the place up.

As he made his way into the office, he looked at his receptionist Beth Phoenix who threw him a look of surprise. "I'm guessing somebody had a busy night you're never late!"

Adam shook his head. "Something just popped out of nowhere last night…"

"Anything I can help you with?" Beth looked at her boss with a sheepish smile.

Adam shook his head once more before he replied bluntly to his receptionist. "No."

Beth cleared her throat. "You have a Stephanie McMahon waiting in your office…"

Adam nodded as he fixed himself up. "Thank you Ms Phoenix."

Beth had been working for Adam for the last 9 months - she was a quiet girl from Asheville, North Carolina. She moved to New York with hopes and dreams like most people but dreams didn't pay the bills. She found a job with Adam and got comfortable; reality was she was secretly in love with her boss and he knew it. He just didn't want to cross the business/pleasure boundary and made it clear to her she was nothing more than his employee.

Beth analysed Adam as he walked into his office and began to imagine what Adam was doing the night before. He was never late and she knew his routine pretty much of by heart by now. She wondered what could've caught his attention more than work.

As Adam walked into the office he spotted Stephanie McMahon sat opposite his desk. The brunette wore a tight black pencil skirt, white shirt and black Prada heels. Her hair was scraped into a long ponytail.

"You're too formal Steph… I told you it was casual smart…" Adam chuckled as he slumped into his chair.

Stephanie smiled as she threw up her arms. "It just gives me a chance to wear this super cute office outfit… I've never had to wear it before."

"You've never had to work before." Adam shot back as he raised his eyebrow.

"I'm excited so tell me what to do to start!" Stephanie beamed as she gripped her Louis Vuitton tote with pride.

"Not so fast Steph…" Adam chuckled. "I'm not just going to give you a job writing a blog… I don't even know if it'll be worth it… think of this as a trial run… I need you to write me an article… something that will grab the reader's attention… something that will prove to me you have got what it takes in this industry…"

"You can't be serious?" Stephanie frowned. "You do realise you offered me a job right?"

"I offered you a chance… now prove to me I made the right decision… I want an interesting piece of writing tomorrow morning or the deals off…" Adam stood up off his chair as he indicated for Stephanie to get to work on her blog post and leave his office.

Stephanie frowned as she picked herself up, glared at Adam and stormed out of the office.

Adam looked through his glass windows as he noticed Beth smile at him, he turned the blinds so they would cover him in the office as he didn't return the smile from his receptionist.

Truth was - he wasn't over Amy. As stupid as it sounded she was the only girl he ever fell for and even if Beth wasn't his employee which she was h would've never been interested in her. He didn't know if another girl would ever catch his attention again.

 _It was the night of Amy and Adams prom. They went to a public school in Brooklyn. Amy and Adam had been friends for years - Amy was always one of the boys. She had got with Matt when he moved to New York after he confessed he had always been in love with her and they were together ever since. Adam never got the chance to tell Amy how he felt when Matt moved to New York instead he buried the feelings he had for his friend deep down in his stomach hoping to never talk about them and even one day potentially forgetting about them. He was wrong._

 _Adam and his best friend Jason Reso along with Amy agreed to go to the prom together as they were the three amigos. Amy didn't have many girl friends - scratch that, she had none. So what better way for her to spend prom than with two of the only people she liked in her school._

 _Soon that plan began to backfire as Jason ended up confessing his love to the girl he had always liked - Lillian Garcia. Giving Adam a slight slither of hope that maybe he could get the girl of his dreams aswell._

 _As Jason and Lillian finally stopped kissing, Lillian smiled shyly at Jason as she twirled a piece of her hair around her slim finger. "Do… you… maybe… y'know… wanna… come to my… house?"_

 _Jason flashed a smiled as he kissed Lillian one more time. "I'm right behind ya… let me just chat to Adam and Amy and tell them I'm going…"_

 _Lillian nodded as she made her way out of her prom with Jason running to find Adam and Amy as excited as a child who had learnt to ride his first bike._

 _Jason finally managed to find Adam who was sat alone. "Hey man, look, I'm going to bounce, Lillian is totally feeling me too and I get to go to her house and I think it's going to be totally awesome and hey wait where's Amy?"_

 _Adam shot Jason a look as his eyes took him to Amy standing in the corner arguing on the phone._

 _"She's arguing with Matt again?" Jason rolled his eyes. "You know what you need to do!?"_

 _Adam looked at Jason blankly as he sipped on his alcohol infected punch._

 _"You need to go up to her and tell her how you feel! It worked out great for me and Lillian…" Jason flashed one of his infamous cheeky smiles as he wiggles his eyebrows up and down._

 _"You're both single…" Adam reminded Jason._

 _Jason looked back at Amy who hung up on the call and looked frustrated._

 _"It looks like both of you are too… what've you got to lose?" Jason shrugged before patting his friend on the back and going to meet Lillian outside._

 _Amy arrived as she sat next to Adam. "Where's Jay gone?"_

 _Adam pointed at Jason and Lillian who were giggling and cuddling as they walked out of the hall, Amy's eyes widened as a smirk came on her face._

 _"Wow good for him! It's great to see somebody getting some tonight!" Amy chuckled but behind her words lay frustration and sadness. "Well I'm going to go home it's been a long and shitty night and I can't wait to put high school and a few other things long behind me!"_

 _"Well I can walk you home if you want?" Adam offered as Amy smiled back at him, slightly nodding her head to signal yes._

 _The two walked for 20 minutes to get to Amy's apartment block, the two talked about her relationship with Matt and how she thinks it's ending and she's scared about her future and Adam was the supportive friend he always was._

 _"Thanks for always being there for me Adam… you're a good friend!" Amy smiled as she hugged the blonde boy in front of her apartment building._

 _The two hugged for a little longer than they should as Adam misread the signal and began to kiss her, after three seconds Amy realised what was happening and pulled away._

 _"Adam what the fuck are you doing!" Amy screamed as she separated from her friend._

 _"I love you… I really love you Amy and I've been wanting to tell you for years and then you got with Matt and you were happy but now you're saying you don't think you have a future and it's prom and I'm probably never going to get another chance to tell you how beautiful you are and how smart you are and how talented you are and how you light up the room when you make an entrance and that I think your the most unique person I've ever met and I won't get another chance to tell you how much I really love you… if Matt lets you go then he's an idiot!" Adam rambled nervously avoiding eye contact with the red head as he kicked a stone with his shoe. "I should just go…"_

 _Adam turned away from Amy, the embarrassment creeping up on him from his love confession. How could he be so stupid? What made him gain the confidence? Why did he let his stupid feelings get in between his friendship? Now she probably hated him and thought he was a creep and a loser and a homewrecker._

 _As he walked he felt a gentle tug of his arm turning himself around to find the redhead stood in front of him for the first time really seeing him._

 _Then out of nowhere … a kiss._

-x-x-x-x-

It had been the first day since she started the company where Trish Stratus had not gone into work for any reason whatsoever. Melina taking on new responsibilities meant Trish had her first day off in two years. Trish sat in her penthouse as the buzzer rang while she was applying her make up for Torrie's birthday gala.

With Shane's recent outburst she knew she had to be more strict on who she would let in her home- too many people knew how to get in her suite and it was time for a fresh start. She had changed the passcode and the only person who knew it was her security guard who she had hired.

"Who is it?" Trish down the speaker to her security guard. "Let her in…"

Trish sat naked apart from the silk dressing gown as she continued to get ready in her vanity mirror.

"Hey boss… just leaving the reports of the day with you… it was weird you not being in the office!" Melina chuckled nervously as she placed the reports on the side.

"You know you could've left them in my office and I would've been back in tomorrow? I think somebody's just missing me…" Trish smiled as she placed down her make up brush and turned to face Melina.

"Actually I really need some advice…" Melina murmured shyly as Trish guided her with her arms to sit on her bed and talk. "So you know… like things… between me and Batista… they're going well… I mean it's my first proper relationship and it's moving very quickly but I think I'm falling in love… but then again I've never been in love so who really knows if I even know what love feels like… I mean there's so many different forms of love… I mean what even is love… does anyone know what love is…"

Trish raised an eyebrow. "Mel… honey… I didn't understand a word of that… you're seriously rambling!"

"Well I wanted to ask you about when you lost your virginity?" Melina blushed as mentioned the V word.

"What has that got to do with you and Dave?" It caused Trish to feel embarrassed. Melina was very conservative and rigid when it came to boys and sex. Then it clicked. Trish's jaw opened. "Oh my good lord, Virgin Melina and Joseph… you're a virgin!"

Melina shrugged. "I mean yeah I thought you knew…"

Trish shook her head. "No honey… we're in a modern world… I didn't know you were still so… pure!"

"I've never had a boyfriend!" Melina gasped. "That's a pretty big clue…"

"Either has Steph but her virginity is long gone…" Trish chuckled. "Her motto has always been if you're old enough to flirt you are old enough to squirt!"

"Well… Mine has always been wait until marriage… it's just the way I've been brought up… I've got a very religious Mexican background Trish and a lot of cousins…" Melina shrugged. "...who aren't the most lenient when it comes to myself and the male species."

"So you're thinking of losing your V?" Trish gasped. "I don't get why you need my advice…"

"Because you were probably the only other virgin in our school beside me!" Melina exclaimed. "Until you met Jeff Hardy! How did you know you were ready? Why did you allow Jeff but not John Cena?"

 _It was the night of Trish and Stephanie's cotillion ball. The night a young girl reveals her status in the world - the night a young girl is declared a woman in her own right._

 _Trish and John had been on the rocks for a while and she had finally broke up with him, she had been spending time with Jeff Hardy that nobody in school could put their finger on. He was rebellious, mysterious, different._

 _They had spent more and more time together and the truth was both of them liked each other but neither would admit it. Everyone hated how close they were getting, her mother, John Cena, Stephanie McMahon who seen him as beneath Trish's status._

 _Trish didn't care - he was different. Somebody who wasn't like anybody else in the world. Somebody unique. The more she tried to deny the feelings, the more they grew. It scared her - she had always imagined growing old with John - he would have a successful career in politics while she would be the trophy wife who took over her mother's business. Her life was always planned out for her; then he appeared._

 _The cotillion was under way and her mother began to meddle. Jeff was supposed to be escorting Trish as she had first proposed but Alice wasn't going to let that happen so easily. John Cena was a better fit - a better position in the social ladder, somebody who matched her status.. Alice's opinion was it was never supposed to be about love it's about power and connections. Two things John Cena and his family name had. Her meddling caused John to escort Trish leaving Jeff under the impression that she didn't want him._

 _First couple to escort - Stephanie McMahon and Randy Orton. Randy was an adequate escort and matched Stephanie's family. Although the two were just friends and there was no romantic connection between them._

 _Second couple to escort - Torrie Wilson and Chris Jericho. Torrie had some social relevance her mother was a former supermodel and her father was a former baseball player but with the likes of Chris Jericho by her side it showed Torrie was a force to be reckoned with. The two were good friends and nothing romantic ever evolved between them._

 _Third couple to be announced to escorted - Trish Stratus and John Cena._

 _Trish looked at the crowd to find a certain defeated young man walking away from the ball. Trish created a scene storming over to the announce table. Snatching the microphone and taking control - she bad enough of everybody else meddling in her life._

 _"I'm sorry there's been a mistake! I understand John Cena is a fine and respectable young man who any girl would be lucky to have escort her but I was supposed to be escorted by somebody else… Jeff Hardy…" Trish said in to the microphone causing Jeff to swing and turn his head._

 _The whispers in the hall - who is that? Has she lost her mind? That stratus girl must want social suicide?_

 _"So Mr Hardy would you mind being my escort as first arranged?" Trish smiled as she locked eyes with his emeralds and noticed him walk towards the stage with her._

 _They bowed to each other before Trish firmly linked arms with him and the hall began to clap unexpectedly. Alice and John furiously watching at the side._

 _The new couple began to whisper to one another as they stepped on to the dance floor._

 _The two teens gazed into each other's eyes,_

 _Jeff got lost in the big, hazel eyes that sparkled as he gazed into Trish's beautiful and innocent soul._

 _Trish stared into Jeff's emerald green eyes, noticing the pain and suffering he had been through but could see deep down he was just a little bit lost and she could tell who he really was._

 _"I'm sorry about that… my life has always been planned out and my mother hates that I'm no longer following the itinerary…" Trish chuckled nervously as the two began to dance, Trish inevitably taking the lead with more experience. Jeff didn't dance. Somersaults, backflips, gymnastics and aerobics - he could do that. Not dance. He hated dancing. Yet here he was. Dancing._

 _"I thought maybe you might have gotten back with John and maybe I missed the memo." Jeff replied as he focused on not standing on the beautiful blonde's feet._

 _"No way… we're over… besides… I think I like somebody else…" Trish said as she bit her lip and Jeff tripped up causing Trish to nearly fall._

 _Luckily Jeff caught her in his arms. "I got you…"_

 _Trish couldn't help but move in for a kiss. Their first kiss. It was a kiss they wrote stories about, that they made movies about. Fireworks, sparks, electricity whatever you wanted to call it. Something just clicked._

 _The two were interrupted by people in the hall, Alice came straight over to Trish as she slapped her. "You silly child what do you think you're doing!"_

 _"What's your problem she's your daughter I thought you would want her to be happy!" Jeff frowned. "Give her a break!"_

 _Trish smiled at the way Jeff defended her before she shook her head signalling for Jeff to leave it._

 _Alice continued to ridicule Trish and belittle her calling her every name under the sun and hurting her daughters confidence. Reminding Trish how much of an embarrassment she was and that she was being selfish when she invited Jeff instead of John. How she embarrassed herself when she kissed Jeff publicly._

 _The blonde took the 'criticism' like she always did but the minute her mother turned away… Trish ran out the hall on to the steps of the building as she began to cry._

 _Jeff followed after her. He placed an arm over her while she looked at him with a single tear drop streaming down her face. It was amazing how she was crying but she still looked beautiful._

 _"Don't listen to her…" Jeff sighed as he wiped the girls tears gently off of her cheek.. "If she doesn't see how amazing you are then fuck her…"_

 _"Hardy my life is so difficult you don't understand what it's like…" Trish smiled sadly. "Me and John were planned out from a young age to unite our families and my mom has planned my life out from the second I was fertilised in her womb and everybody expects me to be a certain way or act a certain way and to do what I'm told and sometimes I wish I could be more like you! You just do what you want when you want and I really envy that!"_

 _Jeff shrugged. "Fuck your mom and the plans… you don't need a plan… you're going to take over the world one day and you don't even know it!"_

 _Trish looked into Jeff's eyes as she felt him build up her confidence one word at a time. "Do you really think so?"_

 _Jeff chuckled. "I know so… now fuck your mom, fuck your ex, fuck your family name, fuck the plans, fuck the rules, fuck the regulations!"_

 _Trish's eyes widened as she laughed and covered his mouth with her hands. "Shhh… the whole of the Upper East Side is in that hall!!! You can't curse when they're around!!!"_

 _"I am pretty sure I just said fuck the rules and regulations!" Jeff pushed Trish's hands of his mouth gently before chuckling. "Say it with me it'll make you feel better!"_

 _"Fuck it!" Trish smiled and shyly spoke as her voice began to increase in volume. "Fuck it! Fuck it all! Fuck this! Fuck that! Fuck it all! None of it fucking matters!"_

 _Trish stepped up on to her feet as she began to dance around the hall exit cussing before Jeff joined in. The two were cursing and dancing and laughing around the top steps._

 _Alice appeared at the steps. "Patricia, watch your mouth before I wash it with soap!"_

 _"Fuck you!" Trish laughed as her eyes widened as she realised what she said._

 _"I beg your pardon! That's it you are going home!" Alice glared at Jeff while pulling Trish's arm and into the limo as she instructed the limo to drive off. Alice walked straight back to the rebellious teen poking him in his chest. "You're nothing but a bad influence you stay away from my daughter you're messing everything up!"_

 _Alice stormed back inside the hall as Jeff chuckled before descending on his walk home. As he strolled along the pavement, he noticed the limousine pull up beside him._

 _"I thought your mom told your driver to take you home?" Jeff chuckled as Trish smirked in her limo as she rolled the window down._

 _Trish couldn't contain her smile. "Yeah well if that's how she speaks to her daughter can you imagine how she speaks to her driver? You wanna ride?"_

 _"Maybe I shouldn't your mom was pretty pissed…" Jeff sighed as he stroked the back of his head._

 _"Fuck her…" Trish smirked. "Fuck them all right?"_

 _Jeff couldn't help but smirk back at Trish as he accompanied her in the back of the limo. Jeff began to play with his hands nervously._

 _"So should I drop you home or?" Trish asked as she smiled._

 _"Or?" Jeff raised an eyebrow intrigued._

 _"Or we could just drive around in my moms limousine for a while and fuck the world off!" Trish chuckled._

 _Jeff chuckled. "Let's fuck the world off then!"_

 _An hour had gone by and the two were sat in the back while the chauffeur drove aimlessly up and down manhattan. They talked about everything - their dreams, their goals, Jeff told her he wants to be a singer and musician, Trish wanted to be a fashion designer - they finally got on the subject of parents._

 _"So why's your mom so hard on you? You're a straight A student… I just don't get it." Jeff asked curiously._

 _"She's always been like that… it's just who she is and who she will always be." Trish shrugged. "Nothing I will do will ever be good enough but it's okay…"_

 _"No it's not… I mean if my parents were…" Jeff began to speak before going silent. "Sorry."_

 _"It's fine… I understand." Trish smiled sadly as she touched his hand. "You never really talk about your parents…"_

 _"I guess it's hard… they were good parents and good people and I feel like I took them for granted and I wish I could've done things differently." Jeff sighed as he looked at the window._

 _"Well there's no going back now… you just have to make them proud of who you are today… I think there's a lot more than meets the eyes with you Hardy…" Trish said as she analysed the rebel's perfect bone structure and abstract shaving patterns on his jaw line. "What were they like?"_

 _Jeff smiled as he began to remember about his parents - he tried to block out the pain not realising he was blocking out the good parts as well._

 _"My dad was strict but fair, a good man with good morals, he was a tobacco farmer and a hard worker… he was very wise…" Jeff's smile stayed on his face. "My mom was a lot like you actually… completely out of my dad's league… she was loyal, smart, kind hearted and she made the worst chocolate chip cookies ever but we all used to eat them anyway because we didn't want to hurt her… she wasn't the kind of woman you would ever want to hurt…"_

 _Trish gazed at the boy as he finally looked and made eye contact with her. "Do you think they'd like me?"_

 _Jeff chuckled. "Yeah I could imagine my dad telling embarrassing stories about me to you and you and my mom would talk about clothes and make up and she would tell me to never lose a good woman like you…"_

 _"I think I would like them…" Trish smile as they two got lost in each other's eyes, butterflies flying around in the tanned stomach of the blonde. "Where did you come from Hardy? You've just come to New York and blew my whole world upside down…"_

 _"I'm sorry?" Jeff chuckled._

 _Trish shook her head. "No it's a good thing… the best thing… it's like you've opened my eyes and for once somebody is actually looking back at me!"_

 _"You're easy on the eyes what can I say…" Jeff teased. "If it makes you feel better… I've been mad about you since the moment we bumped into each other in the hall… I never thought I'd feel… well… anything… ever again… when my parents died… it was like a switch went off and I couldn't feel anything but with you… I kind of… feel everything. You're intoxicating Trish"_

 _Trish and Jeff gazed into each other's eyes as they both slowly leaned in. Their sweet kiss from the cotillion had escalated into a cascade of passion. Trish began to take control and she placed herself on top of his waist and began to kiss him gently on his neck. She didn't know what to do from then…_

 _"Stop Trish…" Jeff called._

 _"Do you not like it?" Trish snapped defensively picking herself up off of his pelvis area and moving to the other side of the limo._

 _"No that's not it at all!!!" Jeff exclaimed. "It's actually the opposite! I really like it but you're a virgin and we're in a limo! I care about you Trish, I think I'm even falling for you and you deserve better than this for your first time…"_

 _"That's sweet Hardy…" Trish moved back over to Jeff placing herself back on his waist. "But I'm falling for you too and it just feels right… this moment… these words… this feeling…"_

 _"I don't want you to regret it…" Jeff mumbled. "I don't want you to regret me…"_

 _"I could never regret you…" Trish smiled as she began to slowly kiss Jeff enticing him back into her spell as the two began to get more intimate. Trish helped Jeff unbutton his shirt while he helped her unzip her dress. Revealing her lacy white underwear. "I think you're the one I've been waiting for…"_

 _"How can you be so sure?" Jeff despite how sexy the blonde looked cared more about her well being and feelings - as much as he wanted this to happen with her he needed to make sure she was certain. "What if I'm not the one?"_

 _"I just know you are..."_

Trish snapped out of her flashback as Melina stared intrigued as to what made her decide to lose her virginity to Jeff Hardy.

Trish sighed. "I can't tell you if you're ready Melina but when you're in the moment… you'll just know… and I knew with Jeff…"

"Knew what?" Melina asked.

"I don't know… I just knew he was always going to be special to me and I knew it was right don't ask me how I knew or to explain it anymore because I can't… I just knew he was the one" Trish smiled sadly before she began to get ready once again leaving Melina with a train of thought.

"But you're not even with him anymore so he can't be the one right?" Melina asked confused.

"Maybe you don't always end up with the one…" Trish shrugged. "Doesn't mean that they never were the one…"

As Trish's cell phone began to buzz which interrupted the conversation, Melina digested the words her friend and boss spoke. "Thanks Trish… I'll see you at Torrie's birthday."

"Anytime Mel…" Trish smiled as she answered

the call. "Speak of the devil… hey Torrie… don't worry I'm not bailing out I'll be there…"

As Trish continued her conversation with Torrie, Melina pondered on the words as she had received from Trish as she exited her friends penthouse.

Was Dave Batista really the one she had been waiting for?

 **-x-x-x-x**

Adam took his keys as he let himself into his apartment in Brooklyn. He loved where he was brought up and never wanted it to change, it may not be Upper East Side but that's the exact thing he loved; it was real.

"I see you've cleaned up..." Adam announced noticing his spotless apartment which had been through a serious deep clean in the time he had been at work. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

He looked at the person sat on his sofa with their head glued to the TV.

"Come in talk to me you can't just turn up at my apartment and just expect me to be okay! I told you I'd always be here for you but you can't abuse the power you have over me..." Adam's voice raised slightly higher than his usual calm and level headed tone. "Amy!"

The red head turned her head around to face her former friend and one night stand. "Fine... I'll tell you but you can't tell anyone you've seen me!"


	10. Moulin Rouge

**A/N - read and review! I hope you are still interested in this story :( it's wrote on my phone as I'm still in Asia so sorry if there's any mistakes.**

 **DISCLAIMER- I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED**

JBL sat opposite his youngest nephew, the first time he had visited him in the recovery centre. He could tell Jeff wasn't enjoying his time there but could see the motivation in the young man to turn his life around.

Jeff nervously cracked his knuckles as JBL sat opposite.

"You will get there eventually son… we're all so proud of you!" JBL reassured his nervous nephew with a gentle pat on his back.

"Where's Matt and Amy?" Jeff asked, the absence of his brother and friend had not gone unnoticed.

"Matt is going back to LA for a few days - he said he's got a few things to sort out." JBL replied not wanting to alarm his nephew about the absent Amy.

Jeff notice the drifting of JBL's tone, quickly picking up on the fact something wasn't right. "So where's Amy?"

"She's… errr…" JBL stalled the conversation in hope that Jeff would drop the topic. He didn't want to panic the recovering addict and also didn't want to lie to him either. "She's…"

"She's gone again hasn't she?" Jeff sighed. "It's okay Unc… you can tell me… do you know why?"

"No we were at Trish's fashion show and she just got up in the middle of it and left… Matt told me she didn't tell him why…" JBL replied.

Jeff flinched at hearing Trish's name - guilt settling in from all the bad things he had done while he was on the drugs. How toxic he was. How he let her down. How he blamed her for giving up on him when really he was the one that gave up on them.

Gulping down the guilt the blue-haired man smiled sadly. "So how did Trish's show go?"

JBL smiled sympathetically. "She smashed it! Everybody love the new line and she was a complete success, she looked amazing as usual…"

"She always does…" Jeff chuckled to himself before changing the subject back to Amy. "JBL why did Amy come back to New York… I know there's something you're both hiding from us… you need to tell us! Maybe we can help!"

JBL sighed as he rubbed his temple and let out a defeated sigh. "Amy was attacked… she turned up on my door battered and bruised… she was staying with us as she was scared and she didn't want anybody to know…"

Jeff could feel his anger building - no matter what had happened between him and Amy, she was family, the sister he never had. "Why didn't you say anything!"

"It's not my place to say anything son! It's down to Amy how she wants to deal with things…" JBL explained as he took a sip of the cup of water on the table between himself and Jeff. "You're all adults now son…"

Jeff sighed. "I know… I know… so do you not know why she left the fashion show…"

"Beats me she was fine one minute and then gone the next…" JBL shrugged.

"Okay guys… time is up… you can say your goodbyes." Ric Flair appeared to interrupt the conversation. Jeff rolled his eyes as Ric had clearly not won Jeff over just yet…

"I have a business meeting tomorrow son so I won't be able to come and visit you… but I'll be back this time next Friday…" JBL said as he embraced his nephew in a tight hug. "I love you son… you hang on in there… it will all be worth it."

"I love you too Unc!" Jeff replied, he didn't want to let go of his uncle and seeing him it just reminded the blue haired man how lonely it really was in the recovery centre. Not just in rehab. How lonely he had been the last few years.

As JBL left, Jeff noticed Mick and his wife who was completely out of his league. She was an older woman, well presented, complete opposite of Mick. He went in to kiss her and she moved away as Jeff overheard her say to her husband she needs some time.

As his wife left Mick walked over to Jeff, his carefree smile still on his face despite the obvious fact his marriage was completely on the rocks.

"Ain't she beautiful… she's the love of my life." Mick gushed as he gazed at his wife leaving the visiting centre.

Jeff shook his head. "She looked pretty pissed to me."

Mick nodded in agreement. "I've put her through hell…she's a good woman… she didn't deserve any of the shit I've brought to her door… her parents are well off and they hated me and yet she stood by me and I let her down… she has every right to be angry and I can't just expect her forgiveness…"

Jeff nodded as he pondered in the words that his new found friend had said. He was right and very relatable. "No I get that…"

"What about you? Why haven't I seen a girlfriend pop by and see you yet… you're a good looking fellow…" Mick chuckled.

Jeff chuckled back as he scratched the back of his head. "I had the girl of my dreams once and I fucked it up… I realise now… if I really love her like I say I do I'm going to have to let her go."

Mick patted the younger male on his back. "You seem like a good kid… I hope one day it falls into place for you Jeff… who knows what will happen when you get out this place?"

"C'mon guys outside in the yoga area for our evening yoga session… let's get our zen on… woooooo!!!" Ric exclaimed enthusiastically.

Mick laughed at Ric while Jeff continued to roll his eyes before reluctantly following the rest of the addicts outside.

-x-x-x-x-

It was Torrie's birthday Moulin Rouge themed gala. The party was set to be a main highlight of the year and Torrie Wilson was never one to skip out on the excitement. The night she planned had plenty of dancers and performers on the stage and throughout the crowd. Impressive costumes, decor and floor acts. The seductive lighting to get everybody in the mode for the upcoming night. Sequins, gemstones, glitz and glamour in true Torrie Wilson style. The dress code - black tie event.

Torrie wore a long gold sheer dress covered in sparkly jewels, revealing and sexy as the jewels were strategically placed. It was a unique design from Trish herself as a birthday present to her long time friend. Torrie has glamourous make up and her icy blonde hair was complete with volume and a bouncy, curly blow dry.

She walked gracefully and forcefully down the red carpet as paparazzi snapped pictures of her and fired her questions. The typical questions - who are you wearing, what is happening in your love life, what's your next move.

She replied to what she needed to reply to… ignored what she needed to ignore and finally made her way into the amazing gala.

She may have been the host but she was also the birthday girl - it was her job title to be fashionably late. The hall was packed with celebrities, socialites and friends of all description.

As she socialised slightly with the guests, she noticed Trish stood at the bar, staring into space.

Trish hated these events - as much as she loved Torrie this gala was no different. She had always had a love/hate relationship with the Upper East Side world. It seemed lately there was more hate than love.

The owner of StratusFashion looked the part regardless. She wore a long sleeved, teal, v-neck evening gown that split on one of her legs seductively while also keeping something to the imagination, styled off with an emerald choker and snake print stilettos. Her hair was in a neat updo and her make up matched her dress bringing out her hazel eyes. No matter how beautiful she looked you could tell her mind was preoccupied.

"Hey T Stratus… you look phenomenal as usual!" Torrie spoke as she interrupted Trish's train of thought and her immediate winning smile approached her lips - Torrie could tell something was off.

"T Wilson... You're dress is on fire the designer must be really talented!" Trish joked, praising herself in the process.

"Yeah she's very talented…" Torrie smiled before looking at Trish's distracted look. "She doesn't seem that happy now a days though…"

Trish froze as she raised an eyebrow at Torrie. Her tone soon turning defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means…" Torrie replied. "I'm not here to call you out I'm just asking if you're okay because you haven't seemed like yourself for a while."

Trish sighed as she sipped on her soda water. "I don't know what's going on with me…"

Torrie looked at Trish with worried eyes and frowned at her. "Trish there is something you're not telling me? I'm your friend talk to me…"

Trish brushed off the comment and her smile returned, forced and weak. "I'm just stressed it's nothing honestly. You enjoy your birthday that's why we're here not to talk about me!"

"Well let us get a drink… what you having? Martini? Long Island Ice Tea?" Torrie asked as she waved over the bartender.

Trish shook her head. "I'm fine honestly… I'm not really in the mood to drink…"

Torrie gasped. "No I'm not having it's my birthday and I want to drink with my friend!"

"Just drop it Torrie… I just don't want to drink… gosh what is your problem!" Trish snapped as she stormed away from the birthday girl.

-x-x-x-x-

Stephanie sat in her limousine as she reflected on the day before. Adam was playing with her. He had to be. How could he offer her a job and then get her to prove herself worthy? One thing Stephanie loved… Stephanie loved a challenge. He wanted an interesting piece of gossip for her blog - that's what she would find him.

It was last minute and Stephanie had decided to take up her invitation to Torrie's gala. She had been avoiding people's phone calls all week after the comments Adam had said to her; her pride was hurt.

Stephanie got out of her vehicle as she put on her charming McMahon smile. She worked a white halterneck, fishtail dress. The torso detailed with silver diamonte pattern while her fishtail bottom of the dress was decorated with feathers. She wore a doom and choker which dropped between her perky breasts and her diamonte, open toe heels matched incredibly with her outfit and purse. Her hair was curly and her make up dramatic - making a statement.

While walking down the red carpet - she received feedback from the paparazzi who were being quite ruthless yet her smile never faltered.

She stepped into the hall like a woman on a mission. Hell hath no fury like a Steph McMahon scorned.

-x-x-x-x-

Chris and Maryse sat in the limo as they waited to pull up to the gala. Chris was looking dapper in his Armani suit and a fresh haircut while Maryse wore a revealing one shoulder long sleeved silver diamanté gown, her white hair fell to one side as her silver, open toe heels revealed her freshly pedicured, white toenails.

"So is your girl going to be here?" Maryse teased with a smug smirk planted on her face. "Should I be jealous?"

"You're funny…" Chris frowned. "Don't start with all that bullshit you know this is nothing serious between us."

"I know!" Maryse giggled as she slapped his arm playfully. " I'm just fucking with you… your face was priceless!"

Chris stuck his tongue out at Maryse as the limousine pulled up outside the gala. The two friends with benefits smiled at each other as Chris got out of the limousine first before he assisted Maryse.

The paparazzi were going crazy, cameras began flashing, questions were being asked. The main one being what were the two of them doing together when Maryse was going through a divorce and Chris was the playboy billionaire stereotype.

The two laughed of the allegations that they were a couple insisting they were just friends but the paparazzi were all over them like a rash.

-x-x-x-x-

"So you came back to New York and he followed you?" Adam gasped as he finally found out the truth about Amy's return. "And the only people who know the truth are JBL and his new wife?"

Amy nodded as she avoided eye contact.

She had no choice but to tell Adam what was going on. How could she turn up at his door with no explanation? It wasn't fair on him. Despite everything they had been through and him being half of the reason her and Matt weren't together - she knew his feelings for her were real. She knew she could always depend on him.

The two sat silent for a second while looking at each other from opposite sofas. Adam ran his hand through his hair.

"So that's why you left the fashion show early and you ended up at my house?" Amy sighed. "I'm sorry Adam, I don't want to tell Matt because he's made it clear where I stand in his life, Jeff is in rehab and the last thing he needs is my drama and JBL shouldn't be dealing with my shit anymore and I know you've got your own stuff to deal with and it's not fair on you but there was a point when we were friends and I didn't know where else to go… I mean I could've gone to Trish's then she would've been asking questions and then Melina would start asking questions … it's just getting way to complicated for me but I haven't got anywhere else to go!"

Adam watched as the recents events of Amy's life began to wear her down. He hugged her as a few tears broke through her barrier - something that was very rare for the strong headed red head.

"I told you…" Adam stroked Amy's glossy hair as he replied to her outburst. "I'm always going to be here for you… I'm a man of my word… you stay here as long as you need… and I won't tell anyone but you need to get this sorted Amy… he can't get away with hurting you… or anyone else for that matter… he sounds dangerous!"

"He is!" Amy exhaled. "I just can't face all of it"

"Will you ever be able to face it?" Adam asked as he seperated from the red head. "You can't always run away from things Ames… you ran away from me after we slept together, you ran away from everyone when the truth came out and Matt found out and the you have run away again! It's not healthy…"

Amy raised her eyebrow, surprised by the tone of Adam's voice and also the answer he had replied with. Despite it being completely true, the red head switched straight to defensive as she folded her arms across her chest. "That's not fair!"

"What happened to you Ames! You never used to be scared of anything now it's like your scared of everything and you can't deal with anything… you've changed!" Adam bit back.

"Newsflash Adam! We've all changed! We're not kids anymore." Amy replied bluntly as she stepped up from the sofa and made her way over to the kitchen.

Adam followed her not finished with their conversation as he rolled his eyes at the redhead. "Well I thinks it's time we all stopped acting like kids!"

Adam could see the hurt in Amy's eyes as she briefly made eye contact with him before looking away and turning her face to the other direction.

"I'm sorry I know you're having a hard time… I don't want you to feel like I'm against you… I'm on your side… always" Adam sighed. "I've got Torrie Wilson's gala that I need to attend… I'm just going to get changed and then I'll leave you on your own… maybe that's the best thing for you right now."

As Adam walked to his bedroom and changed into his tux, his shoulder length, dirty blond hair lay neat off of his head. He walked back down the stairs to find Amy sat on the sofa once again refusing to acknowledge his steps and presence.

"I'll see you later Ames…" Adam muttered sadly , he hated arguing with Amy even after everything she had put him through - he would always have a soft spot for her.

As Adam attempted to open the door way, Amy turned her head to view the suited man.

"You ask me what's happened to me Adam but take a look in the mirror… you're wearing a tux to Torrie Wilson's gala where all the people you grew up hating will be surrounding you… I run away but at least I don't try and fit in where I don't belong." Amy muttered as Adam, his ears inhaled the words that Amy had said.

They were both right. Amy loved to run away - avoiding her past by any means necessary. Adam did try to fit in - he would say he hated The Upper East Side but he reported the Upper East Side and attended all the events in recent years therefore encouraging their way of living. Amy was right by saying they had all changed - both Upper East Siders and Brooklynites combined. Adam was also right by saying they needed to stop acting like kids.

-x-x-x-x-

Torrie's gala was in full swing with the hall busy and thriving. Conversations filled the hall with background noise, scandalous dressed dancers and a live band played on the stage while waitresses passed around snacks and champagne in their moulin rouge outfits.

Stephanie lurked in the corner of the room, analysing the hall for entertainment value. She needed a juicy story if Adam was to take her serious.

A light tap on her shoulder broke the brunettes train of thought as she spinned around to find Trish stood behind her.

"Why have you been MIA? I've been trying to call you…" Trish burrowed her brown in concern.

Stephanie shrugged. "You never answer your phone so I won't be answering mine."

"Steph can we not do this I missed one phone call because I broke up with your psycho brother and you want to be on bad terms once again? I feel like we're going round in circles…" Trish sighed as she shook her head when being offered an alcoholic beverage by the hostesses.

Stephanie didn't miss the opportunity for a free drink, slipping the champagne flute in her hand and taking a sip. "Once again Trish it's all about you…"

"You know what Steph… I'm sick of this shit…" Trish exhaled in frustration. "I'll always be your friend so let me know when you drop the it's me vs the world act okay?"

With no hesitation as Tish strutted off from Stephanie. The brunette wanted to walk after her and apologise and tell her what's been on her mind and how she was feeling but she didn't. She stood there as if made of stone, her face showing signs of no emotion despite the gut wrenching feeling of wanting to break down.

"You're really running out of friends… first Chris, now Trish…" an unexpected voice spoke smugly.

Stephanie turned around to find Maryse. An immediate frown present on the brunette's face. "Well that's where you're wrong because I was never friends with Jericho…"

Maryse chuckled. "I bet it sucks to be you… you act like nothing bothers you and that you don't need anyone or love anyone… your parents really screwed you up. Emotion is nothing to be afraid of Stephanie…"

"Don't talk to me like you know me… I don't know your game but I'll find out!" Stephanie smiled falsely and aggressively in the face of her love rival. "I don't trust you or your intentions but I know your presence here is not a coincidence..."

Maryse shrugged as she continued to chuckle. She sipped on her martini as she pulled the olive off of the cocktail stick seductively and slowly chewed into it.

Out of nowhere Chris appeared. "Maryse is everything okay here?"

"Everything is perfectly fine… me and Steph were just having a lovely little chat." Maryse smirked as Chris put an arm around her waist. "I'm just going to the ladies room.. I'll find you."

Maryse planted a light kiss on Chris' cheek before winking at Stephanie in an antagonising manner.

As Maryse disappeared within the crowd it left Chris and Stephanie alone - Chris frowning at his former lover.

"What's your problem Steph!" He muttered viscously.

Stephanie gasped as she screwed her face at he blond haired man. "What the fuck have I done? Your new girlfriend is the one that approached me!"

"She's not my girlfriend." Chris scoffed matter of factly. "No need to get jealous."

"Pffft… jealous of that? What do I need to be jealous off exactly?" Stephanie chortled as she rolled her eyes. "If I wanted you I could have you."

Chris chuckled as the chemistry began to increase between the two. He stepped over to her and began to whisper in her ear, his breathe touching her neck as her heart rate began to increase.

Chris whispered as he began to trace a finger on her collarbone. "Tell me you love me Steph… stop playing games… I wanna be with you… all you have to do is say it and I'm yours. This is the last time I will give you a chance..."

The sexual tension between the two was undeniable. Stephanie and Chris had went from enemies to enemies-with-benefits to back to being enemies but they couldn't deny there was a severe sexual energy between them. Maybe it had grew to love and maybe Steph did want to be Chris. But she couldn't believe they would ever work. That would be preposterous.

Stephanie gulped as she stepped back from Chris. "I don't like you Jericho and I certain don't love you."

Chris chuckled, rolling his eyes. "If that's the case then… stay away from me and Maryse."

"I thought she wasn't your girlfriend." Stephanie smirked knowingly, acting as if she didn't care about him was easier than admitting that she did.

"She's not we're just having fun…" Chris declared. "Something that you used to be."

Maryse had returned from the ladies room and looked between Steph and Chris. Stephanie tried to hide her envy of the two of them but couldn't. Why couldn't she just say she liked Jericho? Why couldn't she just admit she was falling for him… that she already had fell for him?

"Am I interrupting something?" Maryse asked.

"Not at all…" Stephanie answered for Chris who was disappointed with Steph's reply. Despite them both playing games it was clear they were harbouring genuine feelings for each other.

Stephanie threw a smirk towards Maryse and Chris before striding away, her pride was still intact but her heart was hurting. She should've took the opportunity to tell Chris how she really felt about him but instead she didn't. Why was she like this? Why was she so ready to reject Chris Jericho when he was the first guy she had ever developed feelings for? Why was she ready to reject Chris Jericho when she was the first girl he had ever developed feelings for?

While she was distracted and lost into her thoughts she accidentally bumped into a muscular security guard. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" The brunette barked.

The security guard turned around and she was surprised to see a familiar face. Hunter. The one who had saved her life.

"Good to see you have got your fire back Ms McMahon…" Hunter chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she stood in front of her saviour with her head held high but secretly embarrassed to be seeing him once again.

"Well Miss Wilson hired out a security firm which just so happened to be owned by McMahon corporations… your father sent me to overview the hall and manage the staff." Hunter explained. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better than the last time we met."

Stephanie grabbed Hunter by his collar pulling him closer to her. Their faces barely inches away from each other as she glared at her fathers employee. "I'm warning you if you have told or tell anyone about what happened on the roof… so help me god-"

Hunter continued to chuckle. "Don't worry Ms McMahon your secret is safe with me."

Stephanie let go off the mans collar and straightened his tie for him with a satisfied smirk. "Well good then… run along."

Hunter couldn't help but smile as he watched the brunette dispurse into the crowd. Her sassy attitude and whole demeanour intrigued him.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish despite attending the gala was not fully interacting with the guest nor giving Torrie's birthday the full attention that was required for her to not look rude and distant. She couldn't help it. Her mind was on different things.

She watched as Torrie enjoyed herself, she was being the perfect host. Trish just didn't want to be there. She didn't want to be anywhere. She had the perfect life for so long she was starting to realise she didn't want perfect - she wanted real.

Sometimes she despite having a trust fund and designer clothes, she was one of the less fortunate ones in the world.

She sighed.

This wasn't the place she needed to be right now. She watched as Torrie laughed along with some important members of the Upper East Side's elite. Stephanie sipped on some champagne. Her friends both looked like they belonged there but Trish felt different. She felt like this wasn't were she needed to be anymore.

Trish aimed for the exit as she began to feel lightheaded and her breathe became heavier and harder. Her thoughts were becoming a nightmare and the panic attack began to set in.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to see Chris Jericho stood in front of her. "Trish are you okay?"

Trish nodded weakly before throwing up all over Chris' shoes. She couldn't help it. It had just appeared from nowhere.

"Wow you've not puked on my shoes since sophomore year! Takes me back to the good old days…" Chris started to joke until he seen the blank expression and distracted eyes of Trish. "What's wrong?"

Trish shook her head. "Too much alcohol…"

"You're a shitty liar… what's wrong?" Chris's voice was firm and deep as he tried to make Trish aware he wasn't going to let her go without her telling him. Trish stood blankly as she stared back at her step brother. "Trish I'm not going to ask you once again… what's wrong?"

"I need to go…" Trish sighed.

"Well I'll come with you?" Chris asked. "Let me just tell Maryse…"

Trish nodded slightly as Chris quickly ran back into the hall hoping to find his date, Trish frowned sadly as she decided not to wait for her step brother. She just wanted to be alone. She wanted to deal with this on her own. She couldn't help the emotions.

Trish sat in the backseat of the limousine as her driver looked back at her. "Where to Ms Stratus?"

-x-x-x-x-

"Yeah no worries go!" Maryse smiled as Chris explained Trish was upset. "She's your family I get that…"

"Thanks M…" Chris smiled as he gently planted a soft peck on Maryse's cheek. "I'll call you…"

Stephanie analysed the situation as she peered at Maryse. The white haired woman was acting sketchy as she snuck off into a small office, Stephanie couldn't resist. The brunette tip toed after her as she watched Maryse pull out her ringing cell phone.

Stephanie used her phone to record the conversation, call it an inclination or call it intuition or call it suspicion - she just knew that she needed proof of this conversation.

"Hey sorry I've not answered… yeah I was with Jericho … no he doesn't have a clue … actually he's just ran off to be with Trish … no she doesn't know a thing either… I know… I will tell them when the time is right… it's not easy coming out to somebody and saying 'Hi Trish did you know I'm your half sister-'"

"What the fuck do you mean you're her half-sister!" Stephanie couldn't help but appear from the shadows as Maryse froze like a deer in headlights.

"Dad I'm gonna have to call you back." Maryse spoke before ending the phone call. Her posture was still strong as she gazed back at Stephanie. "Stephanie I can explain!"

"Explain what? That you're a psycho bitch? Trish hasn't got any siblings you crazy pyscho!" Stephanie chuckled cautiously at the white haired female. "Wow wait until I tell Chris his new girlfriend belongs in the nut house oh I'm going to love telling him this!"

"No you can't you don't understand I am Trish's sister! We have the same dad!" Maryse called out to Steph who just continued to laugh at the idea of it all. "John Stratus is my father."

Stephanie scoffed. "You and Trish are around the same age and John and Alice were married at that point it makes no sense!"

"My mom and dad had an affair…" Maryse sighed. "He used to send her money for me… then Alice found out years later and divorced him…"

"You're a liar!" Stephanie hissed.

"I'm not…" Maryse looked at her feet. "When I met Chris in Cancun… I wanted to tell him and I've wanted to tell him ever since but I can't find the courage… please you can't say anything… not yet… I need to find the right time."

"If what you're saying is true…" Stephanie analysed Maryse's face who showed no lack of honesty. "... then Trish won't be hearing it from me."

Stephanie looked at her phone as she deleted the recording of the video in front of Maryse.

"But if you don't tell her soon… I will have no choice but to expose you." Stephanie warned as Maryse gave her grateful smile and Stephanie walked out the room - unaware that somebody was also in the secluded area at the time of the revelation.

-x-x-x-x-

While Jeff was in a peaceful sleep, deep in to his daily routine by now he was awoken by the light blinding his eyes. It couldn't be morning already, he felt like he had only just closed his eyes.

His eyes stung from the light as he noticed a shadow at his door. "Hey…" the voice was angelic and timid.

As his eyes took a minute to readjust, he saw the silhouette. One person he didn't believe he would ever see again.

"What are you doing here?" Jeff's voice was more blunt than he had first intended but the shock was enough to fully awake the man. "I mean it's past visiting hours…"

"It's amazing what a million dollar donation can get you…" the voice chuckled lightly but there was a more sincere tone that underlined it.

Jeff felt like he was in a parallel world or a dream maybe he had really took too many drugs and he was in an hallucinogenic trip. It could be anything - but it couldn't be real.

Trish sat at the end of his bed - Jeff still in shock, froze as he sat inside the covers.

"What are you doing here Trish?" Jeff asked.

"I'm sorry Hardy… I just needed to speak to you… I know it's the last thing you need right now but I need to get something off my chest…" Trish's voice was full of sorrow. "It's selfish and stupid and you don't need to be hearing it but it's now or never."

"Trish you're scaring me what's happened?" Jeff raised an eyebrow, lifting himself up slightly as he put a hand on her.

"I never told you why I turned up in Vegas that day…" Trish refused to make eye contact instead just stared at his hand touching hers. "I was pregnant Hardy…"

Jeff's eyes locked on to Trish who fidgeted with his hands but still never made eye contact. The silence filled the room as Jeff sat speechless not knowing what to say. Why was she telling him now? What had made her come to visit him? From being numb for two years to feeling every type of emotion known to man - he felt overwhelmed.

"What do you mean?" Jeff snapped. "Why didn't you tell me? Why are you telling me this now? Are you trying to fuck with my head?"

"No I'm not… I'm sorry I never told you… I never planned on telling you… you were a mess and I was young and scared and newly single…" Trish explained as Jeff pulled his hand away from hers. "I'm telling you that I had an abortion…"

"So you killed our baby?" Jeff snapped. "Are you trying to sabotage me Trish, I finally go to rehab and you wanna drop news like this!"

"I'm sorry I just had to tell you!" Trish tried to explain as she put a hand on Jeff's arm in which he brushed her off of him.

"Why now Trish… what made you want to tell me now!" Jeff exclaimed as he jumped off his bed and began to pace around the room. "Do you hate me that much you want to torture me!"

"Hardy please just let me explain!" Trish called out as he pointed her to the door. She held onto his chest as she begged him to let her elaborate. "I just needed to tell you… it shouldn't have took me this long but you've hurt me so much the last few years and you were hurting yourself and we couldn't have brought a child up like that but I need you to know I did want you to be the father of my child, you're the only person I would ever want a child with… what I'm trying to say is"

"- I don't care what you're trying to say to me Trish, you are as dead to me as our child! I don't ever want to see you again! Now leave and don't come back!" Jeff snarled as a single tear dropped down Trish's cheek as she walked towards the door.

As she opened the door to make her exit she turned back to face her ex boyfriend, he didn't acknowledge her leaving in fact he didn't move a muscle until she closed the door.

Once the door slammed shut, he fell onto his bed. Grabbing a pillow, putting it over his face while he screamed into it. He was angry. He was hurt. Yet once he let the scream out - he realised Trish was right… he wasn't capable of being the father and they were definitely not ready to be parents but why now? Why did she want to tell him now? His head was frazzled, he didn't know what to think. All he knew was he was in rehab and he had a chance to talk to Trish like a grown up instead he spat venomous words out of anger that ruined any possibility of them being on good terms. Guilt and regret soon leaked their way to his brain. He wondered how different life could've been for them both - he could've had everything he ever wants. The woman of his dreams being the mother of his child and he knew deep down if he hadn't started drugs that would've been his life. He felt guilt as he knew he was to blame for the abortion.

-x-x-x-x-

Stephanie sat at the bar as she tried to absorb the information she had just been given. John Stratus was the father of Maryse. She didn't know whether to believe it or whether she was just crazy.

"So how's your blog post coming on?" Adam grinned proudly. "I'm sure it will be full of drama."

Stephanie knew she could use the information about Maryse to her advantage. Get herself on Adam's team. Work her way to the top. She could make a name for herself. It was a stepping stone to great opportunities but for what price? For the sake of hurting her best friend - she didn't want that. Despite their recent differences, their sister bond was unconditional.

"I've been thinking Adam… I don't want to be as sad as you are I mean c'mon you're a chump and you always wanted a way in the Upper East Side." Stephanie chuckled. "You won't be using me to get you there… the deal is off."

"You don't tell me if a deal is off… do you really want to be made irrelevant? This is your time to shine Steph… what has the Upper East Side ever done for you?" Adam barked.

"A lot more than you." Stephanie smiled. "And I'm Stephanie McMahon… I already shine bitch!"

The brunette strutted away from Adam with a bounce in her step. She was finally realising who she was, she was loyal and feisty and somebody who could never be irrelevant. She wasn't going to let Adam use her to get in the limelight and for the first time in months, she felt a confidence come about her. She was no longer worried about where she was going as she knew she would find her way, a way that didn't involved exposing people she grew up with.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a familiar and husky voice.

"I think you made the right decision…" Hunter smirked as Stephanie walked past him.

"Are you spying on me?" Stephanie frowned.

"You have a really loud voice it's hard not to hear it…" Hunter chuckled. "You'll find your way Steph."

Stephanie was taken back by Hunter - she didn't know how to take him. She smiled - a genuine smile, not her sarcastic or bitch smile but a flattering smile that brightened up her face. "I know… I'll see you around Hunter."

-x-x-x-x-

Trish cried the whole way back to her penthouse. She knew Jeff would've reacted the way she did but she needed to tell him. He needed to hear it from her, she needed him to understand.

As she arrived in her building lobby, Shane sat in the reception waiting for her.

"I'm surprised you called…" Shane was far from the gentleman she knew when they first got together. His tone was constantly hostile and spine chilling but she needed to talk to him. She had no other choice. She had been down this road before and it broke her - she couldn't do it again. "What's so important that you needed to ring me?"

Trish gulped as she felt the nausea kicking in again. "I'm pregnant."


	11. Family Affair

**A/N - here's the new chapter! Written on my phone so sorry if there's any mistakes... this story is really starting to get juicy so stay tuned I'll get started on the next chapter ASAP. If you could review and let me know who your favourite is who your least favourite is what storyline is your etc just give me a heads up which is your fave part of the story and it will help me a lot! Hope you enjoy , side note I really love this story it is my baby I'm travelling yet I just can't get ideas out of my head! It's crazy anyway totally not relevant so I'll let u read away...**

 **DISCLAIMER - I DONT OWN WWE SUPERSTARS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED**

"What?" Shane gasped as Trish stood in front of him. He rubbed his hand over his hair as he absorbed the new information. "Is it mine?"

"Obviously it's yours I've never cheated on you Shane what do you think I am?" Trish snapped as she threw her arms defensively against her chest. "Scratch that you've made it clear what a slut you think I am."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it…" Shane sighed as he stood from the sofa and stood in front of Trish. "We're really going to be parents?"

Trish nodded. "I have my first scan next week… I was hoping you would come with me."

"Of course I will… and I will be there for you and our child 100 percent, whatever you need you will get… I'm so happy Trish we're going to be a family." Shane exclaimed as he squeezed Trish in a tight hug before going into kiss her luscious lips.

Trish pulled away from the kiss causing Shane to frown. "This doesn't mean we're back together Shane… I still need time by myself and I think you do to… I want you to be a part of our lives but until we get past the trust issues we won't ever be together again… I don't need the stress if I'm carrying your baby."

As irritated as Shane was , he nodded along with Trish. He didn't want that - he wanted them to be together, have their child, be a family. He wanted that and he would eventually get that if he had it his way yet he knew tonight was not the night to discuss the future of their relationship.

"I understand Trish… I know we've been messed up lately and I'm sorry for my part in it…" Shane smiled half-heartedly as he gently grabbed Trish's hand and planted a kiss on the back of her soft knuckles. "I still love you Trish…"

Trish smiled back at him but she couldn't muster up the words to repeat them back to him. She didn't love him. Not anymore. She came to the conclusion she don't know if she ever did. He was just somebody that treated her good and made her feel special. She knew this now - yet it was too late. She was having his baby. She had been down the abortion road before and she couldn't bare to put herself through the emotional distress once again. The guilt never went away and she had felt different ever since she had aborted Jeff's child - she couldn't do it again.

She didn't know the logistics, all she knew was she was going to be a mother. She had to be realistic, despite her hate that had grew for Shane he was now the father of her child. Something deep down she hated. Despite everything her and Jeff had been through. She never gave up on the hope that one day, they would get the happily ever after they had always dreamed off. Now that dream was dead and buried and never to resuscitated.

-x-x-x-x-

It was morning, the birds were chirping, the sun was rising and yet Jeff Hardy had not slept since the revelation that he was almost a father. His mind was working over time. His thoughts were drowning him and he was struggling to cope with the reality that he almost had it all.

He felt an overwhelming sadness - the type he felt when his mother and father passed. He blamed himself for his parents death and now he was beginning to blame himself for the death of his unborn child with Trish. He ruined everything and everyone he ever loved.

Jeff threw on a grey tracksuit and began to get himself ready for another day in rehab. The black circles under his eyes were extremely noticeable and his eyes looked heavy as he splashed water on his face to try and wake himself up. He kept thinking back to that night in Vegas, he thought about how upset and disappointed Trish was in him, he thought about all the times after that he confirmed to her how irresponsible he was, how toxic he had been and how childish, how thoughtless and selfish. He looked at himself in the mirror before punching the wall in frustration.

"You okay Jeff?" Mick asked as he had been watching Jeff mentally torture himself.

Jeff looked in the mirror to see Mick stood behind him, a look of concern on the older addicts face. Jeff inhaled deeply, trying to get rid of his anger.

"It's nothing… forget it…" Jeff mumbled as he barged past Mick who saw where Jeff's fist had collided with the wall and dented it ever so slightly.

-x-x-x-x-

Amy awoke to the smell of freshly made pancakes. Her argument with Adam had not yet been resolved and she didn't hear him come in despite her staying on the sofa. She must've fell asleep and apart from a few nightmares - she slept comfortably. She noticed a blanket wrapped around her which wasn't there when she nodded off which meant Adam must've placed it over her as she slept.

She stretched her arms and let out a loud yawn, her red hair was messy and stuck to her head and she wore an oversized t shirt that Matt had once owned which she had claimed for herself and a pair of bed socks. It was a comfort item, it made her feel safe and at home despite where she was in the world.

As she walked into the kitchen, she noticed Adam making quite a mess. The radio was on low volume in the background as flour stuck to the kitchen tiles. As if on cue the pan set on fire as she attempted to put it out with Adam.

"It's a good job I have home insurance." Adam chuckled as he placed the pan in the sink, Amy analysed the kitchen which had look like a bomb went off. "Don't judge me I normally eat a lot of take out… in fact I don't think I've ever cooked in here… making pancakes isn't as easy as they make out in the movies."

Amy frowned, still annoyed at their argument from the night before.

Out of nowhere a piece of pancake that had been stuck on the kitchen ceiling fell on top of Adam's head, breaking the tension and causing Amy to crack a smile and let out a giggle.

"If your so bad at cooking why are you in the kitchen?" Amy raised an eyebrow as she picked bits of batter and pancake out of Adam's locks.

"I wanted to say sorry about last night… believe it or not I was trying to make it up to you." Adam smiled as he looked at Amy's morning head, he couldn't help but still think she was beautiful. Even with stick out hair and morning breath.

"Or maybe you were trying to set your apartment on fire, kill me, claim on the home insurance and elope to Mexico never to be seen again?" Amy smiled as she teased her friend.

"That's actually a good idea maybe I'll do that next time?" Adam chuckled as they both began to wipe down the sides. "I would've took you out to breakfast but you're kind of hiding… so I thought that it's best to cook… not my finest hour."

Amy smiled sadly. "Look I don't want to argue… you're doing me a huge favour by letting me stay with you…"

"I meant what I said Ames… I'll always be here for you." Adam grinned as he touched her cheek gently, the two gazed at each other for a second before Amy broke the trance and washed the dishes.

Without looking at Adam, she began to speak. "I think it's safer if I make the breakfast while I'm here…"

Adam's phone buzzed as an unknown number sent him a message, he clicked onto the message to find a video that had been sent. "Errr… yeah… great I just got to check something out first…"

Amy was intrigued as Adam rushed off into his bedroom but decided not to ponder on the curiosity instead preparing the kitchen for her attempt at breakfast.

Adam looked at his phone - it was video of Maryse and Stephanie from Torrie's gala and the message read 'this is what you were looking for'

Adam's eyes widened as he watched the whole video, this is exactly what he needed. Breaking news that would take his company to the next level.

He rushed back into the kitchen. "Ames, something has came up… I will see you later."

He grabbed his door keys and brief case before Amy had a chance to say goodbye and stormed out the apartment.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish had left early for work, she hadn't had much sleep the night before - her mind didn't stop over analyzing the situation. She should've been so happy that she was bringing a life in the world, she felt guilty because she just dreaded the fact that Shane was always going to be in her life. She had seen the real side to Shane and it scared her - no matter how fucked up Jeff had gotten over the years he had only ever disappointed her but she was never scared he was going to hurt her. She knew he could never physically hurt her. She also imagined what life could've been like if he had went to rehab earlier or if he never went on that tour. She knew there was no point thinking what ifs, she had to focus on the present and put everything in the past - once and for all.

She walked into her office as she was surprised to see that Melina wasn't at her desk. This was probably the first time that Trish had got to work and Melina wasn't there. It was strange that she hadn't seen Melina since she had come to her apartment and it was even stranger that she didn't see her at Torrie's gala.

Half an hour went by and it was getting close to Melina being late - something that was unheard of. Trish began to worry; what if something had happened to her?

Her thoughts turned into worry as she began to imagine the worst possible scenarios. It was so out of character for Melina to be late. As her worry began to take control, Trish picked up her phone to call Melina as she began to hear a cell phone ring.

"I'm sorry I'm late! I'm here!" Melina exclaimed as she darted into the office, a smile was placed firmly on her lips as she slapped two coffee cups on the side.

"Actually you're not late, you're actually on time but it's the first time you've not been early so I was beginning to worry…" Trish chuckled. "Oh and no coffee for me… I'm… going on a caffeine detox."

Trish didn't want to tell anyone she's pregnant - not yet. She still needed time to process the information herself.

Melina raised an eyebrow but decided to not question Trish as she had news of her own. Melina sipped on her coffee and couldn't take the wide grin off of her face, she looked like she had rushed herself together in the morning which wasn't like Melina. She always turned up neat, smart and well presented without a hair out of place.

"So what's going on? Spill? You're smiling like the Cheshire Cat…" Trish raised her eyebrow as she analysed Melina's body language and facial expressions.

"Sooo… you know like I asked you them questions in your apartment… I kind of… you know…" Melina gushed as her cheeks turned a rosy red.

Trish oblivious to what Melina was saying looked at her in confusion. "You what?"

Melina wiggles her eyebrows up and down hoping Trish wouldn't make her spell it out for her. Trish thought long and hard about what she was trying to say then it hit her.

"Ohhhh…." Trish gasped. "Wow…"

"Hey ladies sorry to interrupt…" Chris Jericho barged I'm going straight to Trish. "Where did you go last night? Why didn't you wait for me? Are you okay? What's going on Trish!"

"You need to stop just walking into my workplace Jericho!" Trish scolded. "What's with the twenty questions?"

Trish decided to go on dumb with Chris - but he knew her better than she knew herself. He worried about her like his own flesh and blood - perhaps more than his flesh and blood. He could see through her lies and knew all of her diversion tactics.

"We need to talk Stratus… get in your office now!" Chris demanded as he began to push Trish gently but firmly into her office, slamming the door behind them. "Spit it out… tell me what's going on…"

"I don't know what you're on about…" Trish frowned as she placed her arms stubbornly against her chest.

"You know exactly what I'm on about… what are you hiding from me?" Chris stared at Trish encouraging her to open up to him. She normally didn't hesitate - that's how he knew it was serious. "God the way you're acting so secretive next thing you'll be telling me you're pregnant…"

Chris was joking but the tension in Trish's posture and face when he mentioned the p-word - he knew exactly what she was hiding.

"Oh my god." Chris' jaw had dropped open as he couldn't believe what he was figuring out. "You're pregnant!"

"Shhhh!" Trish hushed him and smacked him on his arm. "I've not told anyone yet…"

"Is it Shane's?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me it is Shane's…"

"Obviously it's Shane!" Trish frowned. "Who else have I had sex with in the last few years?"

"Trish you've really fucked up… you can't be keeping it!" Chris gasped, the news was a big shock to him. He hated Shane and didn't trust him - especially when he had learned about how he was treating Trish recently.

"Excuse me?" Trish scoffed. "Don't you dare come into my office and tell me what I can and can't do! You were the one person who knew about my pregnancy to Jeff and how it ended I thought you of all people you would understand the reason why I wouldn't put myself through that ever again!"

"Shane's a psycho!" Chris yelled.

"That doesn't come into the equation, this is my child, my body and my life!" Trish exclaimed. "Now get out of my office! I mean it Jericho… fuck off!"

Chris scoffed in shock that Trish had kicked him out of her office. "Fine!" He replied stubbornly before walking out of her office as he slammed the door loudly behind him.

Chris looked at Melina who acted inconspicuous as if she wasn't watching the two argue. "Try and talk some sense into her Melina…"

Melina looked baffled as Chris walked out the building. What was that all about? Did she really want to know? Did she want to get involved?

-x-x-x-x-

Shane had lost his mind, he couldn't believe Trish was having his baby and didn't want to get back together with him. He didn't want to bring a child up in a broken home. He also hadn't seen Trish in a while, he didn't know where she had been, who she had been with or any of the above. He knew the blonde would be in work, the perfect time for himself to get in a visit to her apartment.

"Hi I need access to Trish Stratus' apartment… I'm the father of her child." Shane told the receptionist who was reluctant to give the man access after she changed the codes. "You seen us together last night! I just want to drop something of for her and my child that is all…"

After a good half an hour of haggling with the receptionist, he had finally got the access. Maybe he was turning paranoid but he just needed to know that she and his child were safe - they weren't always going to be with him now but he knew there was a way to keep an eye on them.

Shane rushed into the penthouse as he began to sneakily hide different cameras all over the apartment. He placed one in every corner so he had eyes and ears all over the property without her having a clue. As he set up all the cameras, he looked on his laptop as he connected them up. He was online and successful, his mission was complete.

He would use these cameras to his advantage - he needed to be certain that she was protected and protecting his unborn child. This was his last chance with Trish and he knew it. He wasn't going to let anyone come between them; not this time.

-x-x-x-x

Maryse sat patiently in a lowkey coffee shop on the Upper West Side. She had known about her father and half sister most of her life and she had watched Trish grow from the socialite teen to the CEO of a billion dollar company. She watched her highs and lows - the whole time Trish didn't have a clue who Maryse was or that she was her half-sister.

Maryse and her mother had lived in Los Angeles. That was where her mother and John Stratus first started their affair. Her mother was an upcoming model in which her career ended when she decided to keep Maryse. Her father often sent her mother money each month to keep his love child a secret. John would occasionally visit but very rarely. Maryse briefly had a relationship with her father when he was divorcing from Trish's mother Alice. He had only recently come back in Maryse's life pushing the idea of contacting her half-sister Trish. When Maryse started her separation with her estranged husband The Miz, she disappeared to Cancun to clear the air; unaware that fate would throw her a certain Jericho boy to push her to gain the confidence to eventually come clean about who she really was.

That was the thing, Maryse didn't know who she was. When her mother's career was cut short, she began to live her life through her daughter; pushing the young girl into the limelight at a very young age. Maryse married at 18 to hip hop star The Miz and realised she had grown up to quick. Her life was portrayed through reality tv and blogs and magazines but it was all fraudulent. Her life was fake and had always been fake. For somebody that lived in the public eye, she had a lot of skeletons in her closet.

Maryse sipped on her green tea as she patiently awaited the arrival of an expected guest. As an older man sat opposite her. He was well presented and well groomed but tried not to make too much of an impression, he obviously wanted to stay unnoticeable.

"Hey princess…" the man smiled.

"Dad… Stephanie McMahon knows everything and she said I need to tell Trish… I don't think I can do that." Maryse sighed. "It sounded like a great idea at the time but now it's becoming a reality I don't think it's a good decision to rock her world with this news."

"You've been kept a secret for far too long." John sighed as he placed a hand gently on his daughters knuckle. "It's time that everybody knows exactly who you are…"

"And what about Trish? Do you think she's going to be happy that her precious father was actually the reason her parents got a divorce? Do you think she's going to be happy that you've been in contact with me more than her?" Maryse scoffed as she pulled away from her father's touch and placed her arms defensively around her chest.

"She will come to understand my reasons… the same way that you have." John Stratus shrugged.

"Are you even planning on telling your daughter that you're in New York?" Maryse asked. "This isn't fair on Trish."

"No it isn't… it isn't fair on your either… I will see Trish in my own time." John declared as he rubbed his glasses with a piece of cloth. "You wanted this remember? You wanted to meet your half sister!"

"That's before I realised how messy her life is without throwing a secret sister into the mix." Maryse sighed.

Totally unaware they were being watched outside, the familiar face watched as Maryse and John Stratus continued to converse as they shared an intimate hug in which John was clearly reassuring the white haired beauty.

Who was it that had caught them?

-x-x-x-x-

The day began to draw to an end and Jeff had been extremely quiet - more so than usual. Mick had tried to get some conversation out of him with no avail and Jeff was being extremely uncooperative in the group meetings.

"Jeff… can I have a word with you please?" Ric asked the distant addict who followed the older male to a secluded area.

Jeff sat opposite the older male, his body language was stiff and showed signs of angst while he refused to make eye contact with the older male.

"Jeff… why are you here?" Ric asked bluntly as he continued to analyse the young rockstar.

"Excuse me?" Jeff snapped back. "Isn't it obvious why I'm here? I'm trying to turn my life around!"

"You say that you're trying yet you show no interest in group activities or your therapy sessions, you're distracted and very private…" Ric sighed. "I want to help you Jeff but you won't let me if you don't give this a proper chance to work for you."

"I just don't think talking about my past is going to help fix my future." Jeff replied bluntly.

"The reason we talk about your past is to try and get to the root of what triggered your addiction… you may not have told me a lot about you but I think I have you figured out… you grew up in a small town, always rebellious compared to your older brother who was the golden child… you blame yourself for your parents death and you feel like you don't deserve to be happy so you self sabotage… the drugs take you to a different reality because you still haven't healed from the traumas in your life… you need to open up Jeff or I don't believe this month will be of any benefit to you!" Ric replied calmly and logically. "Why don't you tell me how you feel about everything?"

"Because I don't know how I feel!" Jeff exclaimed.

"I think you do know how you feel but you're just to scared to feel it… that's why you take drugs to numb your feelings." Ric continued to analyse the rockstar who began to get agitated. Mostly because he knew that what Ric was saying was right and it touched a nerve. "You started drugs once before and went cold turkey what made you stop the first time."

"Trish…" Jeff exhaled as he remembered the first time she found out he had been taking drugs. He began to go down a rocky road nearly getting expelled from school but with Trish' support he managed to turn it around.

"You never really say anything about Trish… is that your ex girlfriend?" Ric asked as he began to dig deeper into the mind of Jeff Hardy.

"There's nothing to really say…" Jeff muttered as he anxiously cracked his knuckles.

"I believe there's a lot to say… now I may be old but I don't live under a rock… everybody knows about your relationship with Trish Stratus… she's quite the catch." Ric continued to dig. "So why did you break up? The real reason not the reason they portray in the media."

"We broke up because…" Jeff sat for a moment as he reflected on the question. "I let her down… I always let her down… my behaviour… she needed someone she could rely on and I guess she got sick of waiting for me to grow up."

"The reason why I'm asking Jeff is because it all links together, the bottom line is you have never felt good enough, your brother was a straight A student who had no trouble, you rebelled for the attention of your parents which backfired with the car crash, your girlfriend made you feel inferior because of her connections and family name but they weren't the problem it was your own insecurities… this relates back to your distant behaviour in here Jeff… you don't want to let anyone in because you're scared of emotions and you feel like you don't deserve to be happy or live a normal and healthy life." Ric's analysis began to make sense to Jeff but he couldn't help but feel defensive. "Let us help you… you deserve the help."

Jeff looked at Ric but he had no words he could reply back with, the older man had left him speechless. Jeff had tried his best not to let anyone see who he was yet Ric had figured him out in less than a week.

"So Jeff I'm going to ask you one time…" Ric continued. "Will you help me help you?"

Jeff sat as he pondered on what his councillor was saying to him. He reluctantly nodded as his guard began to drop - he knew if he wanted this to work he had to put in more of an effort. Otherwise it would all be for nothing.

-x-x-x-x-

After a long day at the office Trish made her way back to her penthouse. She strode through the building lobby, spotting Stephanie arguing with the front desk.

"I'm her best friend! What the hell do you mean you won't let me up… do you not know who I am? I swear when Trish gets here you will be lucky if you still have a job by the time I'm through with you!" Stephanie exclaimed as she slammed her hand on the desk dramatically.

"So now you're my best friend?" Trish sighed as she walked over to the receptionist. "Sorry about that, her bark is worse than her bite I promise…"

"You don't want to see my bite!" Stephanie snarled at the receptionist.

"Miss Stratus… I need to inform you that Shane McMahon was-" as the receptionist was about to explain Shane's appearance in the penthouse, Stephanie interrupted.

"Please don't tell me you took him back…" Stephanie scoffed. "You know Trish you're unbelievable why on earth would you let that disease back in to your life!"

"Because I'm pregnant with his child!" Trish snapped. "You would know that if you wasn't throwing yourself a pity party seven days a week!"

Stephanie's jaw dropped as she began to shake her head erratically. "No… no… no… Trish this is bad…"

"Steph not now…" Trish sighed. She had already had this conversation with Jericho, she didn't want to repeat something she already knew nobody would approve of.

"No you don't understand… you're now owned by the McMahons! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Why do you think I've been disowned? My family can't own me so they disown me you will be carrying the heir of McMahon Corporation…"

"This is my child as well Stephanie…" Trish replied as she rolled her eyes ignoring the warning in Stephanie's tone.

"No it's a McMahon child… if they don't approve of you they will dispose of you! Trust me Trish you know my family!" Stephanie insisted.

"For once can't you just be supportive of something that I choose?" Trish exhaled in frustration. "You never approved of Jeff or Shane and now you don't approve of my child… your niece! I just need you to support my decision for once in your life Steph…"

Stephanie sighed as she pulled Trish into a hug. "You're right and I'll be there for you every step of the way…"

Stephanie meant what she said but she also knew her family. She knew them and she lived with them, she had been raised by them. She couldn't shake the worry of what was to come if Trish didn't abide by their rules.

They could disown Stephanie but Trish they could dispose of completely. That is what terrified her best friend.

-x-x-x-x-

Adam sat in his office, OverTheEdge offices were only open between Monday and Friday. He knew if he came here then he would have peace and quiet while he wrote out his new post. He knew this was a worldwide exclusive - something that would take his company to the next level.

He knew Amy would disapprove and attempt to talk him out of it - hence why he had come into the office on his day off. He didn't know who sent the video, first he thought it might be Stephanie before coming to the realisation that she would've claimed the spotlight straight away. Adam thought it was best not to ask questions, he had a juicy story, hard hitting evidence and something that no other media outlet in the world had.

Adam continued to type out his words on the Apple Mac in front of him, he finished uploading the video proof and stared at the send button for a considerable amount of time. He knew he was about to shake Trish Stratus' whole world. He didn't care. This was something that would benefit himself and his company.

He pressed the send button.

-x-x-x-x- 

Maryse was staying at The Codebreaker while she was in New York, Chris sorted her out the presidential suite for her stay. She knew she would have to tell Chris sooner or later, the real reason she was so keen to get to know him and that the reason had nothing to do with him.

A knock on the door interrupted Maryse's mind. She wasn't expecting any company. The white haired female stood up as she opened the door, the news was playing in the background but still on low - just loud enough to hear what was being said but still at a volume which could blend in as background noise.

She opened the door to find Chris stood in front of her as if something was on his mind. Maryse moves to plant a kiss on him in which Chris rejected her antics and stormed straight into her hotel room.

"Hi there?" Maryse said sarcastically, raising her eyebrows in confusion. "Is everything okay?"

"Do you want to tell me why you were with my step sisters dad considering she hasn't got a clue he's even in the states?" Chris exclaimed.

"Chris please I can explain!" Maryse said as she put a hand on his waist to which he pushed away her touch.

"You know you looked real cozy with him!" Chris scoffed. "So what great mastermind plan have you got with him? Maybe he's the reason you left your husband… secret little love affair…" Chris ranted as he stormed up and down the suite.

"Ew don't be disgusting." Maryse scoffed.

"...maybe you have a plan to get back at my family for my father marrying his ex wife… this is the Upper East Side after all everybody loves a bit of revenge…" Chris continued his rant ignoring Maryse's attempts to explain herself.

"Chris please…" Maryse called our asking for a chance to speak to which Chris continued to ignore her pleas.

"So come on then Maryse… spit it out!" Chris's tone of voice caught her off guard for a moment to which they could only hear the news in the background.

As she stood in silence thinking of how to come clean about the situation, Maryse was just about to open her mouth when she heard the news in the background.

 _"I'm Gail Kim reporting for NewsOfAmerica It turns out American Sweetheart Trish Stratus isn't the only Stratus in town as this new video has been posted by OverTheEdge revealing Trish may have a long lost sister in child actress turned reality tv star Maryse Ouelet."_

 _The news flashed onto the video of Stephanie and Maryse's conversation at Torrie's gala, Maryse admitting she's Trish's half sister._

Chris looked at Maryse, eyes widened by what he had just witnessed. Maryse felt her stomach turn as she watched the video that had been published for the whole world to see. This wasn't how she planned it to be.

"Well I guess now you know why I was with Trish's dad… he's not just her dad… he's also mine." Maryse gulped as she looked at Chris.


	12. Lost And Nowhere To Be Found

**AN /**

 **Thanks for the reviews guys you don't know how much it means to me! Here's the next chapter if you could continue to review and let me know your opinions that would be great once again it's written on my phone so bare with me and I apologise if there is any mistakes.**

 **DISCLAIMER- I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY**

With the video of Maryse admitting she was Trish's half-sister going viral, the big apple had come to a standstill. Paparazzi, bloggers, journalists and reporters of all kinds were going hectic. Everybody was trying to get an exclusive interview with the culprits involved.

Stephanie decided she would go and visit Trish at her office, she had been trying to contact the blonde CEO since the news had been made public but had no success. Stephanie knew how it looked to her best friend - she was in the video after all, she just needed a chance to explain herself.

As Stephanie stepped out of the black limousine that had transported her through the hectic streets of New York; she was surprised to see just how much effect the video had. The office block was crowded at the entrance, the gardens were filled with reporters and paparazzi all trying to get an inside scoop with the one and only Trish Stratus.

Stephanie squeezed and fought her way through the wild crowd as she came to the entrance, after arguing with security - she managed to squash herself into the front entrance making her way to Trish's office.

The brunette stormed straight past Melina's desk as Melina jumped out calling after the frantic Stephanie. "Steph… Steph… Steph!"

The brunette ignored Melina as she attempted to get in to Trish's office which was locked. "I know she's in there!"

"Stephanie calm down!" Melina begged as she ran over to the fiery brunette who was not taking no for an answer. The brunette was causing a scene in the workplace as employees of StratusFashion looked on. "Stephanie stop it she's not in there!"

For the first time since Stephanie arrived she finally acknowledge Melina and her words as she spinned around and poked her in the chest. "Well I know that you know where she is! You best tell me Melina I'm not playing games I need to speak to Trish."

A timid Melina stood and took the abuse from Stephanie as she tried to remain calm and avoid any confrontation with her. The rest of the employees looked on, some amused, some shocked yet all of them distracted.

Melina took a deep breathe as she prepared to face Stephanie. "She's not here Stephanie and you can't come into this office kicking and screaming and demanding to see the boss, if she wanted to see you then you would know where she was!"

Stephanie chuckled menacingly, she actually respected the fact Melina had attempted to stand up to her but she knew how intimidating she could be and planned to use that to her advantage. "Who the hell do you think you're talking too…"

Stephanie stepped closer to Melina causing the nervous and timid employee to gulp slightly as she was approached by her. "...you better tell me where she is or so help me god-"

Melina was a quiet and timid girl, she avoided confrontation at any costs but she knew Stephanie; if she spotted any weakness in her she wouldn't ever leave. Finding some courage from deep within her stomach, Melina stepped up to Stephanie. "What are you going to do Steph? She's not here and I don't know where she is, she's told me she won't be in until she can sort her head out… just give her some time without your presence adding drama like you always do."

Stephanie was took back by Melina's words and despite her stubborn nature, she knew Melina was right and that she didn't deserve to get bullied in front of everybody for Trish's whereabouts. The brunette let out a frustrated sigh and she stormed off, barging past Melina in the process.

Melina turned around to see the rest of StratusFashion employees staring, whispering and sniggering with each other regarding the events that had just happened. "Get back to work…" Melina announced timidly to which nobody listened.

Melina knew she needed to gain some control and she had to put her foot down if she was ever going to be taken seriously. Feeling the pressure of her new found promotion Melina knew she had to show people she wasn't the assistant anymore, she was the boss when the boss wasn't around.

"Get back to work now!" Melina's usual timid and soft voice was loud and boisterous, taking the floor by surprise. The chatter turned to silence as their heads turned from one another to the computer screen. An overwhelming sense of power came across Melina and a sense of pride that she had actually managed to control the employees in Trish's absence renewing her faith in her new found position.

-x-x-x-x-

The paparazzi were surrounding The Codebreaker just as much as Trish's penthouse and StratusFashion headquarters. The story had took New York by storm, one of the most powerful names in The Upper East Side had another heir? A secret love child? The media was eating it up.

Chris had attempted to call Trish but with no luck. She obviously didn't want to speak to anyone as her phone had been turned off and it was just going straight to voicemail. Chris was worried about his step sister, he knew they weren't on the best of terms right now and the last thing he wanted was for this to push her and Shane closer.

Maryse quickly learnt to be careful what you wish for, she had been stuck up in the presidential suite since the video went viral. Her father had fled once again from the states promising her he would contact her when it's all settled down and Maryse hadn't even manage to track down Trish to actually have a conversation with her.

As the two discussed in full detail the exact events that led up to the birthday gala. Chris rubbed the back of his head as he took in all of the information.

"So you used me to get to Trish…" Chris scoffed.

"C'mon Chris… if you were me you would've took the opportunity the same way I did." Maryse replied as the news continued playing in the background. "You used me to get to Stephanie…"

"You do realise you might've been the thing that pushes Trish over the edge…" Chris raised an eyebrow. "No pun intended."

"I didn't think it would come out like this!" Maryse exclaimed as she exhaled deeply not believing how much drama had come with her presence in New York. "I didn't know what to expect really… I just know I've always knew who my sister was and Trish never knew who I was…"

The knock on the door broke their conversation as Chris and Maryse both looked at each other, they were both as curious as each other to see who it was outside the presidential suite. It wouldn't be the paparazzi or journalists - they were on a strict no entry policy and the Codebreaker had been put on a bit of a lockdown which Ted Jericho wasn't to pleased about. He was pleased with the amount of publicity he was getting on the news and media for free; swings and roundabouts.

Chris went to sit up of the chair opposite Maryse who was sat with her legs crossed on the king sized bed. The white haired female shook her head as she put a hand gently on Chris's chest as she decided she would answer the door. As she slowly and gently pulled the door closer to herself as she opened it, both were as shocked as each other to see Stephanie McMahon stood with a hand on her hip as she stormed into the presidential suite.

"You have some nerve coming here!" Maryse snarled. "It was you wasn't it that released the video to OverTheEdge!"

"Oh please if I wanted to release the video I would've took full credit for it." Stephanie scoffed as she flicked her wavy, long chestnut hair smugly. "I didn't come here to check on how El Jericho and the Incredible Barbie were holding up I need to see Trish and I thought she would be here considering she's not at her apartment or her office."

"She's ignoring my calls…" Jericho sighed.

"Do you think she's going to be okay? I guess it is a lot to take in, I've always knew about her she's the one that's been lied to…" Maryse replied breaking down the situation in her head and feeling incredible guilt for disrupting Trish's life. "Oh god this is all my fault."

"Yeah it is…" Stephanie smirked.

Chris darted a look at Stephanie, telling her to back off. "Don't listen to her Maryse this has just come up at a very bad time in Trish's life…"

"So you know about...?" Stephanie raised her curved and well shaped eyebrow in the direction of Chris.

He responded with an unenthusiastic nod.

"Know what?" Maryse frowned unable to figure out what Stephanie and Chris were talking about. "Maybe I can help?"

"You can't help you've done enough… Trish didn't need you in her life she already has a sister!" Stephanie hissed. "Jericho I'm going to find her are you coming with me or are you going to stay here with Whitey?"

Maryse looked at Chris with puppy dog eyes hoping that he would stay with her until this all blew over. In the whole of New York - Maryse had only one friend and if he was to leave her now it would sink in that she didn't have anyone in her life. Her divorce was underway, her mother didn't speak to her anymore, she had no real friends, her father came in and out of her life as he pleased, her half sister showed no interest in getting to know her. Chris was the only person she had left.

Stephanie looked at Chris with her eyebrows raised, did he really have a choice?

"Maryse I'm sorry I can't stay here I need to find Trish… I'll bring her back and you can talk to her and sort this out once and for all…" Chris gave Maryse a weak smile before he ran off with Stephanie.

Maryse couldn't help but feel disappointed - she understood Chris would want to find Trish and that wasn't her issue. It was that even after everything he went to find her with Stephanie - not once offering for the two of them to sneak off and find Trish together. It was clear where Maryse's place was in the Upper East Side; nowhere.

Stephanie and Chris galloped down The Codebreakers corridors together. Stephanie smiled smugly at Chris.

"We're going to have to sneak out the back without being noticed by the paparazzi…" Chris informed the brunette. He smiled sadly at her, he was happy she was here but sad because of the current events that had leased them to working together one more. "I hate to say it Steph… maybe you should call your brother… I mean you know about the… you know."

"Spawn of Satan growing inside Trish's stomach?" Stephanie replied sarcastically. "Yes I know and I very much do not approve."

"That makes two of us." Chris mumbled. "Maybe she's with him? It would make sense right?"

"Your really going to make me go and see my brother aren't you." Stephanie's disamused frown planted on her sour face as she rolled her eyes as Chris shrugged. "Fine let's go… everybody loves a family reunion right?"

-x-x-x-x-

Amy frantically packed all of her stuff back into her bag as she prepared yet again to find somewhere else to stay. The news that Adam had been the one to expose Trish's family drama was enough to make her see that Adam was not the kind hearted boy she once knew, he wanted power, fame, credit; maybe he just wanted revenge for all the times he was made to feel like he wasn't good enough just because he was from Brooklyn. He had lost all his morals and ethics when he opened OverTheEdge and Amy had finally realised that.

"Cmon Ames… you don't have to go!" Adam pleaded with the red head who was furiously throwing bits of clothing back into her backpack. "Why are you so bothered about Trish Stratus anyway? Why are you bothered about any of those superficial east siders?"

"You can't be serious!" Amy shook her head in disbelief at what Adam was saying. "You're wrecking people's lives! You're turning into the people you hated Adam, two wrongs don't make a right! You're not the Adam I knew growing up."

"You're not the Amy I knew…" Adam scoffed. "It's called growing up and you know that this company is my livelihood… we don't have trust funds and family businesses past down to us or the advantage of just being alive to make us money! We have to work for everything that we do!"

"How can you justify what you do as a living?" Amy shook her head as she continued to zip up her bag. "You do realise how stupid you sound right and we both know it's about more than your livelihood it's about revenge and your way into the social ladder."

"So they can mess with people's lives for free and it's not a crime but when I inform news for my company I'm the bad guy?" Adam chuckled in disbelief.

"It's not news it's gossip Adam…" Amy said matter-of-factly as she put her bag on her back. "You talk shit about people like a whining little bitch! You've changed and become obsessed with the upper east side and I can't sit here and pretend that I agree with your job because I don't and to be honest I don't agree with you anymore… I appreciate you putting me up but I can't be around you…"

"You're making a massive mistake Amy!" Adam exclaimed as the words cut deep into his ego, he wasn't about to let her walk out on him again. "You made the mistake to let me go once don't do it again…"

"I made the mistake of letting you in once and looks like I made it again." Amy spat back as she grabbed her straps of her backpack with her hands. "Goodbye Adam."

Adam stood defeated as he watched the redhead leave with her backpack and slam the door behind her. He always knew Amy would hurt him, that's why he never wanted to tell her how he felt about her. This time it was different - this wasn't about her and Matt, she left because she genuinely didn't like his character anymore. He couldn't understand why she was so mad or why she continued to stick up for the people that used to look down their noses at Brooklyn kids; he thought she would be happy for him. His company had been given some real exposure and his views were through the roof. Why couldn't she just be happy for him? He was finally getting somewhere after working for years to get his company upto this level.

Amy on the other hand had no idea what to do next. She knew she couldn't make it on her own, her money would be ran out soon, her parents had long deserted Brooklyn as she had found out the last time she tried to go back to her family home and she had cut her nose off when she had JBL and Jillian's. She sat underground as she waited for the subway - her destination was still unknown.

An overwhelming sense of paranoia came over the red head as she began to feel somebody burn holes into her skin. The red head turned her head to scan the surrounding area - she couldn't see anybody but she knew there something not right.

As the platform began to empty, call it an intuition or a calling but something triggered Amy to get herself out of the subway. As she began to walk back up, she still couldn't shake the urge that something was terribly wrong. Deciding to avoid public transport, Amy threw her black hoodie over her head to cover the red, placing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and dispersed into the crowded streets of New York - unaware that she was being followed.

-x-x-x-x-

Stephanie hated the fact she had to go to see her brother. She tried to avoid him by all costs, it's typical for brother and sisters to get annoyed and fall out but their relationship was completely different. They hated each other. Shane was the apple of his parents eyes, Stephanie was the pain in her parents back side. They were McMahons - groomed to act and behave in a certain way. Stephanie developed socialite status in her teen years and that was the nail in the McMahon coffin. Truth betold her parents never believed she had what it takes to run a business or represent the McMahons and they never hesitated in letting her know how much of a disappointment she was to them. Stephanie had learned to accept that but tried to avoid her family by any costs, the fact she had to go into the lair of the beast now was enough to make even her stomach turn.

Stephanie and Chris looked up at the her parents hotel - The Crown Jewel. The Jericho's and The McMahon's were rivals in everything, Vince would open a club, Ted would open a club. Ted would open a restaurant, Vince would open a restaurant. The Crown Jewels biggest competition was no different, it's biggest rival was Jericho Co's The Codebreaker. Stephanie was about to walk into her families hotel with the son of her father's rival, it was a recipe for disaster.

"You ready?" Chris asked as he noticed the tension in Stephanie's body language, she didn't show fear but you could see how uncomfortable the brunette was as she eyed up her family's hotel. It had been so long since had stepped anywhere near The Crown Jewel. "I know this is asking a lot of you…"

"It's for Trish… we need to find her." Stephanie cut off Chris as she planted a sincere smile on her lips. "I can handle my family…"

Chris raised an eyebrow at the brunette who let out a soft chuckle, the two made eye contact and despite what Stephanie what saying; Chris saw the vulnerability in her eyes. She was nervous. She wouldn't admit it but he could see right through her stubborn exterior. Chris gently squeezed the brunette's soft hand in which she just let him. The two held each other's hands for a few seconds before they let each other go and cautiously entered into the unknown.

Stephanie and Chris stepped slowly into the magnificent lobby. The two were out of their comfort zone, Chris would one day be McMahon Corporations main competition and Stephanie had been thrown to one side. They didn't belong on McMahon premises.

As the two walked through the lobby, Shane made his way out of the elevator with perfect timing. Stephanie could feel a huge amount of overwhelming emotions every single time she came into contact with her brother. She knew that wouldn't get her anywhere not this time.

Shane chuckled maliciously as he approached Chris and Stephanie. "If it isn't the star crossed lovers in the flesh and blood…"

"We are not here to argue we're worried about Trish where is she?" Chris spoke as he noticed the irritation begin to rise in Stephanie.

"Yeah we figured with the recent news you would have already had her GPS installed so you can track her every move." Stephanie hit back as she placed a hand confidently on her hip.

"I have spoke to the mother of my child." Shane smiled proudly as Chris and Stephanie rolled their eyes.

"So you know where she is?" Chris asked.

"Maybe…" Shane smirked, loving the power that was in his hands. "Maybe not…"

"Will you stop playing this is serious!" Stephanie hissed, her patience was wearing thin and Shane just increasingly antogonised his little sister and he loved every second of it.

"Well has it entered your mind that she doesn't want to speak to you?" Shane grinned as he continued to play his games.

"Has it entered your mind that Trish wishes you weren't going to be the father of her child?" Stephanie spat back as Shane's body tensed and his nostrils began to flare. She had obviously struck a nerve but she had gone past the point of caring. She knew coming here was a bad idea and didn't know why she thought for a second that her older brother would help her in any way, shape or form. "He's not going to tell us anything Jericho, he hasn't got a clue where she is he's just playing mind games let's just go…"

Stephanie was right. Shane didn't know where Trish was but he wasn't going to let them know that, he wanted to seem like he and Trish were united once again which was far from the truth.

"Why don't you stay for a while… wait for mom and dad to see you here with the enemy, they will be thrilled to see that they made the right decision…" Shane hissed, his tone cunning, sly and full of bitterness. "Sluts and business don't mix."

"You know what I can't wait for Shane…" Stephanie chuckled arrogantly. "I can't wait for the day you finally get what is coming to you, I will have the last laugh."

"I'm the one who is gonna be laughing Steph… I'm the sole heir to the McMahon corporations, I have the woman of my dreams having my baby… life is good for Shane O'Mac." Shane grinned, a spine chilling grin which showed his true colours.

"She may be having your baby but you will never have her heart." Stephanie replied bluntly.

Shane's ice cold exterior cracked into a million pieces as the words Stephanie said to her brother, triggered a million bottled up emotions. He saw red.

"You dirty little slut you watch your fucking mouth!" Shane snarled as he stormed over to Stephanie gripping her by her neck causing the young brunette to gasp as his grip tightened.

As if on instinct Chris used the whole of his body weight as he took a heavy swing at the boy wonder and his fist collided straight with his jaw causing him to release his grip on Stephanie.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked as Stephanie struggled to catch her breathe while Chris hovered over her helping her to regain her balance on her feet. Stephanie nodded slightly as she was unable to speak.

"Security!!! Security!!! Get them out of here!!!" Shane screamed through the hotel as a group of security guards rushed through the lobby gripping Stephanie and Chris.

The security guards grabbed Chris and Stephanie roughly as they both screamed for them to stop grabbing them.

Out of nowhere Hunter appeared as he noticed the commotion. "Stand down men!"

"What are you doing Hunter I want them escorted of the premises!" Shane snarled, annoyed with Hunters interference.

"They will be escorted out of the premises Mr McMahon but that doesn't mean you can allow my men to throw them around!" Hunter hit back. "Now let me personally escort you both out of here…"

"I'll be telling my father about this!" Shane stormed off like a child as Hunter rolled his eyes and gently escorted Stephanie and Chris off of the premises.

The three stood by the entrance of the hotel as Hunter noticed bruising around Stephanie's neck. "Are you okay Steph?"

"Steph?" Chris scoffed. "Do you know this caveman?"

"Shut up Jericho… Hunter is a…" Stephanie began to think about the word she would used to describe Hunter as he had saved her ass twice now. "Friend."

"Are you sure you are okay?" Hunter asked as he gave Stephanie his full attention which didn't go unnoticed by Chris.

Stephanie smiled and nodded at Hunter. "Yeah I am but I won't be for long when my parents find out what happened…"

"Don't worry I'll be telling your parents exactly what went down." Hunter ensured the brunette as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "It was nice bumping into you once again Miss McMahon."

Hunter and Steph smiled at each other before Hunter left to go back into the Crown Jewel. Stephanie continued to smile unconsciously as she watched her saviour walk away. Chris couldn't help but feel jealous - he noticed the way Hunter looked and acted with Stephanie; he liked her. This didn't sit well with the Jericho boy as he threw his arms defensively around his chest.

"What a creep!" Chris frowned as he began to mock Hunter. "It was nice bumping into you once again Miss McMahon… per-lease."

"He just saved us from getting an ass whipping from my fathers security team you do realise they could be classed as lethal weapons and were lucky to be standing right?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she noticed Chris' jealousy.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one who punched Shane for you…" Chris muttered as they made their way to the limousine with no further clues to Trish's where abouts.

"You've wanted to punch my brother for years…" Stephanie chuckled. "Are we really doing this right now? We still have no idea where Trish is!"

"It's like junior year all over again… remember when she broke up with John Cena for the final time and we searched for hours for her…" Chris reminisced about his high school years, chuckling. "The first time we actually joined forces."

"Oh my god I think I know where she is!" Stephanie exclaimed as she pushed Chris in the limousine. Chris raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't get it…" Chris scratched his head as he tried to figure out where Stephanie believed their best friend was. "Last time she was with Jeff…"

"Exactly!" Stephanie exclaimed.

-x-x-x-x-

After Ric's recents words with Jeff - he was really attempting to give his full effort and concentration in his time in rehab. He had become more sociable with the rest of the addicts and was becoming more involved in the groups meditation, yoga classes and therapy sessions. His judgement of rehab had been completely wiped and he was giving himself a real chance to turn his life around.

Jeff sat with a few of the other addicts - Mick's efforts at befriending Jeff were finally paying off and the two had begun a genuine friendship with one another, learning from each other and Mick had even began to give Jeff some pretty good advice in all aspects of the young rockstars life.

He had begun to get to know the rest of the addicts - Paul Hayman, a former business tycoon who had lost everything, ended up on the streets and became an addict.

Steve Austin, a redneck alcoholic who was forced to rehab by the courts for drink driving, if he didn't complete rehab then he would be locked up for many years. He accidentally killed a couple while drinking under the influence.

Debra Marshall, she was similar to Jeff. A former pop singer who had it all from a young age but never had genuine support around her which led her crazy lifestyle to get the best off of her.

They were the people in his group therapy sessions and despite what Jeff previously thought they weren't all bad to be around. Mick was dopey and a bit slow but a very caring person. Paul was a bit eccentric and loud but he was very welcoming. Steve swore and cussed a lot but if you was to get in a fight he would be the first person there to back you up. Debra was a bit of a hot mess but she was trying to change a lifetime of habits. Jeff hadn't really gave any of them a chance before but he was glad he was finally beginning to open up.

The group was sat in the garden of the rehabilition centre as they enjoyed some free time, the sun was shining and it was a nice day to get some fresh air. Jeff was beginning to realise it wasn't that bad and began to see the benefits of being in rehab.

"You know that son of a bitch Ric, he's not bad for a measly mouthed bastard…" Steve exclaimed.

"He's just so darn sweet…" Debra smiled as she ageeed with Steve. "Now I know it's not under the best circumstances but you have all made this experience so much better…"

"When we all get out we're going to have keep in contact. We should make a group chat…" Mick said hopefully as he grinned showing his missing teeth. "Y'know that way we can all keep motivating each other to stay clean."

"Or it means if one of us goes off the rails again at least there will be a group of people to join us." Paul chuckled.

"Group chat?" Steve chuckled. "What the fuck are we fourteen year old girls, do you want me to send you a selfie while I'm at it… send you some food porn so you know what I'm eating for breakfast… fucking group chat… I like you bastards but damn group chat… what the fuck do I look like? A fairy?"

"That's actually politically incorrect term to use Steve." Mick frowned. "It's just we could help each other stay motivated…"

"Well Mick I think that's a fantastic idea." Debra smiled. "Don't listen to Steve he's just pulling your leg."

"I want to pull your leg Ms Marshall…" Steve winked at Debra who just rolled her eyes playfully at him. "You ever been told you got a nice pair of pins and a great set of puppies."

"You two are cute…" Paul teased. "You will be having little hill billy babies before you know it… a few domnestic abuse charges… I can see it already."

Debra and Steve had grown quite close over the course of their rehabilitation and their flirting was becoming very noticeable from the rest of the group. In a weird way - they were perfect for each other.

"Rockstar…" Debra called out to Jeff changing the subject quickly. "Why don't you speak much honey?"

"He's a tortured artist Debra…" Paul cackled. "It's what makes him so mysterious… a man of few words…"

Jeff shrugged off the comments with a little chuckle. "You all speak enough I don't think you need my input on anything…"

"That son of a bitch Paul speaks enough… he loves the sound of his own mousy voice." Steve joked as he stuck his middle finger up at Paul.

"Says the redneck hill billy who don't know how to say a sentence without a curse word." Paul joked back returning the middle finger back to Steve.

"Boys will be boys…" Debra rolled her eyes as she let out a soft chuckle.

Jeff had begun to hang around his fellow addicts more often and stop isolating himself but it was baby steps. He wasn't the most talkative person at the best of times but his presence alone was a huge step for him. Mick was probably the only one of his group who realised the big difference with Jeff's behaviour since his chat with Ric.

"Mr Hardy… will you come with me?" Ric appeared out of nowhere and tapped the blue haired man on his shoulder.

"What's he done now?" Paul jeered. "Has he been hiding a 6pack under his bed…"

"That son of a bitch!" Steve cackled. "Where the hell was my invite."

"Does your mouth ever ache from all the shit you guys talk?" Mick chuckled. "Leave the kid alone."

"Hey we're just fucking with him!" Steve exclaimed. "It means he's a part of the group if he's receiving some stick of us…"

Jeff remained silent as he secretly chuckled to himself. He did find the group very entertaining to say the least but he wasn't quite ready to get in on the roasting just yet - he would much prefer to observe.

Jeff followed Ric as they exited the garden. "What's up Ric?"

"You know we might keep you here if we keep getting these generous donations for your visits." Ric chuckled as he they walked into the visiting room. Jeff was confused who could it be?

The blue haired addict sat in the visiting room as Ric walked to get the surprise guests. Jeff couldn't hide his shock when Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon had turned up.

The last time Jeff spoke to Chris - it didn't end well. The two were once classed as good friends but it had been a while since they could call each other that. Stephanie had always hated Jeff - nothing personal. Stephanie hated everyone.

"You have twenty minutes… be quick… I don't want the rest of the group to find out I'm giving special treatment." Ric chuckled. "I'd never hear the end of it off of dumb and dumber."

Ric left the old acquaintances in the room together as Jeff sat in shock as to what could possess these two to come and visit him. He had been exiled by all of Trish's friends and family after the whole VegasGate saga.

"Well don't look so happy to see us Jeffrey!" Stephanie smiled as she broke the ice, the tension was high in the room.

"Am I missing something?" Jeff chuckled. "To what do I owe the pleasure…"

"Haven't you heard!?" Chris exclaimed.

Jeff raised an eyebrow at his former friend. "Don't know if you've realised but I'm kind of in rehab I don't really know what's going on in the world of Manhattan's elite."

Chris and Stephanie looked at each other, both on the same page as they realised this wasn't where Trish was. Jeff noticed the subliminal looks that were being exchanged between the two as his curiosity grew.

"Okay what's going on first Trish makes a guest appearance in my life and then you two!" Jeff exclaimed as his brows arched in confusion.

"Wait Trish was here? How long ago?" Stephanie gasped hoping he would be able to solve the whereabouts of Trish Stratus.

"Friday night… what's wrong? Is she okay?" Jeff asked as he began to worry about the safety of his ex girlfriend. "What's going on!"

"She never told me…" Chris said to Stephanie as they both eyeballed each other.

"Me either…" Stephanie replied to Chris completely ignoring Jeff's questions.

"Hello?" Jeff sang as he tried to catch the attention of Trish's best friends. "Does somebody want to fucking explain what's going on?"

Stephanie looked at Chris who stared back at Stephanie before both of the young billionaires looked at the rockstar.

"Why did she come and see you?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Did she tell you about the baby?"

"Yeah she told me everything…" Jeff sighed as he looked down at his trainers. "I'm guessing you already knew…"

"Nah man I just found out… she didn't even tell me she was pregnant… she probably knew my reaction to having the spawn of Satan growing inside her… no offence Steph…" Chris said matter-of-factly as he shrugged.

"Non taken…" Stephanie smiled. "My brother is Satan so you really are not lying…"

"What are you both going on about?" Jeff was confused as he replied to them both, he pondered on what the two were discussing before it hit him like a tonne of bricks. "Trish is pregnant with Shane?"

"Duh…" Stephanie scoffed. "You just told me she told you…"

Chris' eyes widened as he realised what Trish had admitted to Jeff and that it wasn't that she was pregnant with Shane's child; she aborted Jeff's.

"No she told me she was pregnant with my child!" Jeff exclaimed as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's why she told me! She's having a baby to Shane! I can't fucking believe this!"

"What do you mean she was never pregnant with your child!" Stephanie frowned. "She would've told me tell him he's crazy Jericho! The drugs really have got to his head!"

Chris stayed silent as Stephanie looked between himself and Jeff. Her mouth dropped to the floor.

"You knew didn't you Jericho!" Jeff hissed. "You never told me!"

"You weren't fit to be a father and you still aren't that's why you're in rehab Hardy!" Chris hissed back as the conversation began to grow heated.

"I've already had this talk with Trish and she's made me quite aware she would rather kill my child than have me as her baby father!" Jeff shouted as he slammed his hand against the table next to him. "I don't need to hear it from you as well… what is wrong with you all? I'm trying to better myself and you all just come around here to remind me how much of a shit person I am? I've lost Trish, I've lost my baby what more do you wanna take from me? My peace of mind?"

"That's not why we have come!" Chris yelled back at Jeff. "We thought Trish might have come here!"

"Why would she want to be anywhere near me?!" Jeff shouted back at Chris.

"Because she's going through a whole lot of shit right now and despite everything you've been through you're probably the only person she wants to be with right now!" Stephanie raised her voice as she got between the verbal war between Jeff and Chris.

"I highly doubt that… she's not here anyway so you can go…" Jeff sighed as he relaxed back into his chair, his hands rested on his forehead as he attempted to digest the news that the love of his life was having another man's baby.

"She's having a shit time at the moment Hardy…" Chris sighed as his tone began to even out and the hostility disappeared. "She's just found out she's been lied to her whole life… she's got a half sister…"

"Who Chris Jericho himself has been laying in the sheets with…" Stephanie informed judgementally with a snarl on her lips.

"Irrelevant…" Chris replied back to Steph before looking at Jeff who looked helpless. "We came here because when her life fell apart and she broke up with John Cena she was with you… now if she's not with you and she's not at her apartment…"

"She's not at work or my brothers…" Stephanie joined in, informing Jeff that Trish was really off the radar.

"You know her better than anyone.:. Even better than us…" Chris said as he tried to pick Jeff's brain to find the location of his step sister.

"Debatable…" Stephanie muttered as Chris shot her a 'not now' look.

"Where do you think she'll be?" Chris asked. "We're running out of places and we're worried as to how she'll be dealing with this news… she's not been feeling herself for a while and we just want her to know we're on her side…"

"Have you tried JBL's?" Jeff quickly replied.

Stephanie and Chris looked at each other as if a lightbulb went off together at the same time.

"No we haven't!" Stephanie smiled gleefully. "Why didn't we think of that! Thanks for your time Jeffrey I hope you don't resort to crack again…"

"It was cocaine Steph…" Chris sighed.

"Yeah crack… cocaine… heroin… drugs are drugs right?" Stephanie shrugged. "Stay clean and stay mean Jeffrey… Cmon Jericho we have got a fake blonde to go and find!"

Stephanie darted out of the rehabilitation centre leaving two old friends alone for the first time in years. Chris looked at Jeff who couldn't hide the look of concern on his face - Trish had so much on her plate and he told her she was dead to him. He couldn't help but feel guilt and worry over his ex.

"It's good to see you trying to change Hardy." Chris smiled as he extended his hand, offering a truce between himself and the rockstar.

Jeff looked at Chris then looked at the hand being offered him, he silently shook the hand - ending any bad blood between the two young males.

"I'm sorry about everything…" Chris continued. "I'm sorry about Trish… despite everything I always thought you two were endgame…"

Jeff nodded still silent, his emotions running wild - he wanted to scream, shout, cry, punch a wall. He couldn't and he wouldn't embarrass himself. He needed to learn to control his emotions and deal with them healthily.

"You'll always have her heart… you know that right." Chris asked as Jeff turned his head to look at the billionaire.

"And she will always have mine…" Jeff smiled sadly. "Goodbye Jericho…"

Chris nodded knowingly with Jeff before he walked out of the rehabilitation centre. It was the first time Chris had seen Jeff in years and he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He knew Jeff had messed up and made more mistakes than anyone but Chris knew Jeff wasn't a bad guy. Messed up? Yeah. Deep down underneath the angst, the pain, the trauma and the tortured soul he was portrayed to be was a scared guy not in touch with his emotions. A guy who let his addictions to drug ruin everything - then the guilt hit Chris. He was the first person to introduce Jeff Hardy to drugs; was this his fault? Was he the reason that Jeff and Trish fell apart? Maybe… maybe not. All he knew is if he never offered Jeff the cocaine… maybe… just maybe… things might have turned out different for his step sister and her ex.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish sat in JBL's townhouse - She had nowhere else to go. She knew nobody would have placed her there, why would she run to her ex-boyfriends uncles? It made her feel safe. Took her back to a time where everything was simpler - sure she had her issues but as a young seventeen year old girl she still had hope that one day her life would be perfect, she would get the happy ending she always dreamed about with the man of her dreams. She would come to JBL's house when she argued with John or her mother and she would sit and talk to Jeff for hours and hours about everything and anything and somehow he would always make her feel better. He would make her feel special. Lately Trish wasn't feeling special, she was feeling drained and lost and with the recent events of the Upper East Side; she was more lost than ever.

Not only did she not know who she was anymore, she began to question her whole existence. Why would her father cheat on her mother? Why would he cut her out of his life after the divorce? Why wouldn't he tell her she had a half-sister?

Her whole life had been full of questions recently and she was sick of trying to find answers - trying to piece together the meaning of her life. She came to JBL's and he opened her with open arms as he promised not to ask her questions and allowed her to just be at peace for the first time in months possibly years.

"Are you sure you don't want my famous hot cocoa?" Jillian asked Trish who was fully merged into the sofa and hadn't moved since her arrival. "I think it's just what the doctor ordered…"

"No honestly!" Trish smiled sadly.

"Well I'll make you one and if you change your mind at least you have the option…" Jillian smiled back at the depressed blonde as she finished squirting cream on the top of the hot cocoa placing six mini marshmallows on top and placing it next to her.

"Thank you…" Trish said softly as she looked at hot cocoa and decided to enjoy it.

"So Trish… are you going to speak to your sister?" JBL asked. "I know you don't want to talk about it but it's a pretty huge thing to avoid…"

"What do I say to her JBL?" Trish sighed. "I can't pretend like I'm happy to find out about her… I mean my whole life I've been lied too… my mom is looking like a saint compared to my dad which is ringing all sorts of alarm bells… I just don't know how I act like I'm okay with it…"

"You don't have to be okay with it Trish I just think you need to deal with it…" JBL spoke his words of wisdom which always seemed to make everyone feel slightly better than before. "You're more than welcome to stay here but you shouldn't be avoiding your situation…"

Trish looked at JBL, her hormones all over the place as she adjusted to the pregnancy life. She couldn't help but burst into tears. "My life is a mess! I just feel so lost!"

Jillian quickly moved to Trish's side embracing her in a tight hug.

JBL sighed as he tried to think of the right things to say as he was interrupted by a rhythmic knock on his front door. Confusion arising across all of their faces as they wondered who would be visiting them.

He stood up from the opposite sofa and walked straight to the front door as he was surprised to see Chris and Stephanie standing there, he opened the door wider so that Trish could see that they had found her.

"What are you doing here!" Trish shouted. "How did you find me!"

"Jeffrey told us to try here and lon behold here you are!" Stephanie chuckled. "You've not made it easy Stratus I will give you credit where credit is due but c'mon time to face the music."

"Don't you dare come in here and tell me I need to face the music Steph!" Trish exclaimed. "You knew! You knew that I had a half sister and you didn't think to tell me!"

"It's not like that…" Stephanie sighed.

"So what is it like… I found out on the news that I had a sister and my father had been lying to me my whole entire life… and you knew Steph!" Trish cried.

"I was waiting for Maryse to tell you!" Stephanie attempted to explain herself but had no luck.

"What's happened between us Steph! You're supposed to be my best friend and recently you've felt like my biggest enemy!" Trish cried frantically. "How am I supposed to trust you when you don't tell me something as important as this!"

"It seems like we haven't been able to trust each other for years since you never told me about the baby you were carrying to Jeff Hardy." Stephanie shot back. Regretting her words straight away.

"You fucking told her!" Trish screamed at Chris.

"No-" Chris attempted to explain but was cut off before he had a chance to go any further.

"I can't believe this… I can't believe any of you!" Trish grabbed her purse of the table as she threw her coat over her.

"Trish the stress isn't going to help the baby." Stephanie said as she attempted to calm down her ecstatic best friend, hormones and emotions running wild.

"Don't act like you care about my baby!" Trish scoffed.

"It's my niece of course I care!" Stephanie called after Trish who was already half way out of the door. "Trish please don't walk away let us be there for you…"

Trish ignored the calls of her best friend as they watched her storm off down the avenue. Chris didn't know what to say all he knew was Trish was hurting and nobody could talk to her. Maybe someone could talk to her but he wasn't able to. The only person who would be able to get through to her in a state like this was the one person locked away for a month.

JBL and Jillian sat in shock as the two watched the secrets roll out of the tongues of the young adults; speechless to what they had just witnessed.

"Does somebody want to fill me in?" JBL asked as Stephanie and Chris looked at one another before sighing at JBL.

-x-x-x-x-

Hunter sat in Vince's office at The Crown Jewel. He sat in one chair while Shane sat in the chair parallel, both men were facing Vince who replayed the video footage from the disruption in the lobby.

"Does somebody want to tell me what the fuck went on in my lobby!!!" Vince screamed as banged both hands against the desk which echoed throughout the office.

"Dad I can explain-" Shane began to speak.

"I don't want to hear it from you!" Vince hissed. "Hunter in your opinion what occurred before!"

Shane frowned as his father went straight to questioning Hunter and a scowl stayed permanently on his sour face.

"Well Mr McMahon… there was a commotion…" Hunter began to explain.

"Oh really I didn't realise that…" Vince replied sarcastically, his tone was belittling and patronising as his eyes burned holes through Hunter. "So what was the commotion about…"

"Your daughter Stephanie turned up-" Hunter began to explain once more before being cut off once again.

"With Chris Jericho may I add!" Shane piped up once more attempting to sway his father onto his side - he knew Hunter was one of his father's most trusted employees and that didn't work in his favour

"Yes she turned up with Chris Jericho but in my opinion she wasn't starting trouble… it was regarding her friend Trish Stratus…" Hunter explained before being cut off once again.

"Trish Stratus? That blonde bimbo?" Vince hissed. "I told you she was trouble Shane and you didn't want to listen!"

"Don't talk about her like that!" Shane hissed back at his father. "That's the mother of my child!"

"You got her pregnant? Have you lost your mind Shane!" Vince howled as he banged the desk once again. "Calm down Vince… calm down… I'll deal with you in a minute Shane… get out of my office while I speak to Hunter…"

Shane sulked as he childishly threw his arms around his chest and stormed out of his father's office.

"So what was the Jericho boy and my unloyal daughter doing here Hunter! This is bad… it was a public fiasco and I need to know how I can sort it out…" Vince huffed as he fell back into his recliner chair and put his hands together signalling for Hunter to explain. "Is this to do with the scandal of the Stratus name?"

"Yes in my opinion Stephanie and the Jericho boy didn't come to start a fight… your son began to get violent with Stephanie which resulted in the Jericho boy defending her… your son was acting on emotion and didn't think about where he was or how it would reflect on you sir…" Hunter replied calmly.

"So do you know what made Shane lose his shit?" Vince continued to interrogate Hunter, he tried to piece the pieces of the jigsaw together and wanted to know what could be so important that Shane would potentially create a new scandal for the world to see.

"I'm not sure it was something that was said between them… I was watching on the cameras but didn't hear what was actually said." Hunter explained.

"Probably something about that Stratus girl… Shane is thinking with his dick and not with his head… thank you Hunter… if you could call my son in it would be much appreciated." Vince nodded at Hunter.

Hunter picked himself up of the chair as he left Vince's office, Shane eyeballing him as Hunter smirked.

"Daddy wants you Simba…" Hunter smirked as Shane scowled at his father's employee.

Shane stormed back in with a chip on his shoulder as he confidently sat back on the chair opposite his father. "Dad I know what it looks like but Stephanie and her big mouth just got me so mad and then the cheek of her bringing that Jericho boy… she was going on about my relationship with Trish-"

Vince hearing Shane's words caused his blood to boil as he circled his son like a vulture and slapping him on the back of his head.

"You listen to me!" Vince screamed. "You ever humiliate this family again by letting your emotions get the better of you and I promise you son it will be the last thing you ever do! You let me deal with your sister and as for your girlfriend I hope you know what you are doing! You bring anymore shame to this family and I swear to god you will be lying in a ditch in the middle of Nevada! Got it!"

"I got it…" Shane mumbled.

"Good!" Vince howled. "Please prove to me you weren't a waste of sperm like your uncontrollable sister… we taught you the way of business… you better not let your emotions get the better of you Shane!"

Shane sat silently, the words of his father were harsh but it was nothing he hadn't heard before. Shane respects his father - there wasn't anything to disrespect. He was powerful, respected, well educated but he had a temper; a temper Shane had felt the wrath of one too many times.

-x-x-x-x-

Amy had been wandering aimlessly around Manhattan all day - she didn't know where to go or what to do. She was scared - scared to be in New York but also scared to leave. She had felt like she had been being watched all day and decided to stay in a public area to make herself feel more comfortable. It was no use - she was being followed.

Suddenly as she sat in Central Park - the atmosphere changed. The mood shifted. The red head couldn't help but feel something sinister was in the air. She looked around as she felt eyes burn into her, she was alone, nobody was around and she was isolated and secluded. A gut wrenching intuition told her to move; she didn't argue, she picked her stuff up as she began to run away.

As she ran away from where she had been seating she felt a whack on the back of her head, a man in a balaclava attacked the red head. She tried to fight back but it was no use, he overpowered her. His hands tightened around her slender neck as she struggled to catch her breathe.

She began to think that this was it. This was the end.

Out of nowhere she felt his grip loosen as she noticed him drop to the floor and rub the back of his head. She was still disoriented and struggled to catch sight of her saviour. As she began to regain her consciousness and awareness she noticed the man who had hit her run away, this time however his arms revealed as she noticed familiar tattoos. He had found her. He knew where she was. He knew she was in New York. She had no hope.

"Amy!" The voice snapped Amy back into reality as her panic began to set in. "It's okay Amy… he's gone!"

Amy looked up to find Trish stood in front of her, a brick in one hand and the culprits hooded jacket in the other. Amy burst into tears as she began to shake in fear on the floor. Trish hugged her as she tried to soothe her and calm her nerves.

"It's okay Amy… we're going to go back to mine… you'll be safe there…" Trish hushed as she soothed the sobbing redhead.

"I'm not safe anywhere…" Amy cried.


	13. Trouble

**A/N / new chapter! Just to let u all know that a lot of the Jeff storyline atm is about him dealing with his addiction and his behaviour etc but he won't be in rehab forever lol I know it seems like I'm dragging it out a bit but I want it to be realistic as possible ! Still written on my phone so please ignore any mistakes**

 **DISCLAIMER- I DONT OWN WWE SUPERSTARS OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED**

After the explosive encounter between Stephanie and Trish at JBL's, Stephanie had sat in the limousine. She was silent but her silence screamed more than a thousand words ever could, she was hurt. It was clear no matter how much her and Trish tried to mend their friendship recently it just seemed to push them further away.

Chris noticed Steph's silence and could see right through her poker face. She was hurting.

"You and Trish will be alright you know…" Chris blurted out interrupting the deafening silence.

"I don't think so Jericho." Stephanie sighed. "Not this time…"

"You're sisters remember…" Chris pointed out as he attempted to make the brunette feel better. "Sisters fight, sisters argue but sisters are still sisters…"

Stephanie smiled sadly as she gazed in Chris' eyes. For a moment she began to get lost in them and felt vulnerable as he searched into her soul through her baby blue eyes. She slowly leaned into him, she couldn't help it. She was so caught up in the moment and he had been there for her today.

Their lips were moments apart…

They were just about to touch…

Chris moved his head, confusion rushed over Stephanie's face as her defensiveness began to kick in. Had Chris just moved away from her advances? She couldn't believe it, embarrassed she moved away from Chris and folded her arms tight over her chest as she stared out of the window.

"Look Steph…" Chris began. "I can't keep doing this with you… you're playing me and you're playing yourself…"

Stephanie looked down at her feet as she soaked in the words that Chris had began to speak. She wanted to turn around and tell him she wanted to be with him and that's she fallen for him and that he makes her feel a way that nobody ever has before but whether it was the stubbornness inside her or whether it was the fear of the unknown. She didn't say anything, she just gazed out of the window as Chris continued to speak.

"Just admit it Steph…" Chris pleaded with the brunette as he gently brushed her knee with his hand sending electricity through her body. "All you have to do is tell me how you feel and we can make it work… just say the words."

Stephanie wanted to. She really did, but she couldn't. She wouldn't allow herself to. Her family had drilled it into her head that emotions were for the weak and allowing yourself to be vulnerable was the worst mistake you could ever make. She swallowed down her emotions as the cold as ice exterior returned to her facial expressions.

"I can't do that…" Stephanie replied bluntly.

"Why not!" Chris exclaimed. "For once in your life can you stop being so fucking stubborn, I'm not going to hurt you Steph!"

"Well what if I hurt you Jericho!" Stephanie replied as she threw her arms in the air. "What if I'm not the one and what if you're wasting your time! I can't be who you want me to be…"

"I just want you to be you Steph…" Chris smiled softly as he placed his hand gently on her cheek.

Steph loved the touch of his hand against her soft cheek and closed her eyes momentarily to capture this moment but she couldn't do this. The pessimist in Steph wouldn't allow it to work. As Steph took a deep breathe thinking on the way she thought was best to end this once and for all. If not for her sake then for Chris Jericho's.

"I don't want you Jericho… not how you want me." Steph lied as she kept her poker face, it hurt her to even say the words even if they weren't true.

"Your lying Steph…" Chris muttered as the words struck him through the heart, stabbing him a thousand times. "Why are you doing this!"

"I'm not doing anything I'm being honest with you… you don't mean anything to me… your just somebody I fuck when I want to fuck…" Stephanie replied spitefully in hopes that this time it would be enough to make him hate her once and for all. She would rather him hate her than love her. The idea of love scared her, terrified her; Chris Jericho terrified her. He made her feel things she wasn't ready to feel.

"If you don't take that back Steph… I will never forgive you… don't do this." Chris sighed as his ego bruised and his heart got shattered. Deep down he knew it wasn't true but he had to believe the words that Stephanie herself was saying to him. He had no choice.

Stephanie looked at Chris, his eyes begging for Stephanie to be honest with him but she couldn't. She couldn't admit she was in love with him.

"Goodbye Jericho." Steph opened the door to the limousine as she got herself out and walked down the avenue. Chris was heartbroken and didn't have it in him to chase after her. What was the point? She had made her choice.

"Drive…" Chris instructed the driver as he drove off down the block, Stephanie refused to turn around and watch the limousine pull away and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. The rain in the city began to fall and as a chain reaction, she broke down. He had broke her. He had made her feel. She began to cry, instantly regretting what she had said. Why did she have to be so complicated? Why did she have to so stubborn? Why was she so afraid of giving her heart to somebody but she could easily give her body? Why did she just ruin things before they even began with Chris Jericho.

Chris decided to forget about Stephanie once and for all. He had opened up to her and put his heart on the line only to find her shut him out once more.

His limousine stopped outside the Codebreaker - the paparazzi must've have been removed as the entrance was clear and empty. He made his way to the presidential suite and was shocked to find it empty, Maryse wasn't there nor any of of her belongings. He found a note on the bed which he analyzed quickly before throwing into the bin. Chris fell back into bed as he placed his hands on his head.

-x-x-x-x-

Amy was still shaking from the attack as the shock began to wear off - she didn't know what she would've done if Trish wasn't there. Despite the surprise of the attack, she knew exactly who the culprit was. The same person that she had been running away from this whole time. He had found her and he showed no signs of forgetting about her.

After an hour of convincing her to come home with her, Trish finally managed to get Amy back to her penthouse. She couldn't leave the redhead on her own after what she just witnessed and with everyone believing that Amy had left the city. Trish knew there was a deeper conspiracy occurring. She knew she had to find a way to help Amy.

The two females arrived in the building as Trish welcomed Amy into her home. She found some comfortable pyjamas for Amy to borrow while also setting her up camp on the sofa which folded out into a king size bed in her living room. She decorated the bed with cozy and furry blankets and different pillows, as she insisted to Amy to make herself at home.

Amy didn't know what home was anymore. She had been running for so long, sofa surfing, different houses, different places. She didn't think she had a home anymore.

"Amy what's going on…" Trish smiled sadly as she placed herself next to the still redhead who gazed out into the windows at the amazing view of New York. "Something is telling me that attack wasn't random…"

Amy flinched at the word 'attack' and Trish could see the redhead growing uncomfortable, she decided to ignore her reaction and press the girl for information knowing that it would be the best way to help her.

"Look I know we kind of went down different paths…" Trish sighed as she didn't take her eyes of the rundown redhead. "I mean we all have… but I'm here to help you. You need to be honest with me and tell me what that was about…"

Amy acknowledged the words as her eyes scanned the room as she was about to speak her chose against it and continued to stare off into the distance.

"If I didn't turn up god knows what could've happened to you!" Trish said sympathetically. "Maybe I should call JBL…"

"No!" Amy snapped. "Don't call him…"

"Well tell me what's going on…" Trish replies. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Amy looked at Trish and could see she genuinely wanted to help but how could she? How could anybody help her?

"Fine don't talk to me or JBL…" Trish sighed as she picked up her cell phone and began to dial 911. "Maybe you should talk to the police!"

"No!" Amy snapped once again.

"You was just assaulted!" Trish bit back at Amy who sat uncomfortably stiff on the bed. "Talk to me…"

"This isn't the first time this has happened…" Amy sighed as she rested her face in her hands, inhaling deeply and slowly before exhaling and wiping her hands down her face. She looked at the concerned blonde in front of her as she began to speak. "When I first came back to New York, I was beaten pretty badly… I had nowhere to go and found myself on JBL's door…"

"So JBL knows?" Trish gasped. "What about Matt and Jeff do they know as well?"

"No… I told JBL not to tell anyone and that I would deal with it in my own way…" Amy shook her head as she continued to explain her story. "Everything was fine and I finally felt safe again and we were all getting along like old times and I started to feel better I even thought I might be able to put that part of my life behind me."

"And then?" Trish asked.

"And then I seen him… I seen the person who I was running from… so I left again… but I didn't really leave..: I went to Adams." Amy explained.

"That no good wicked bitch of Brooklyn…" Trish muttered her anger building up and her resentment towards Adam was noticeable. "Sorry…"

"No it's fine I agree with you it's wrong what he did to you and what he continues to do to people on a daily basis." Amy shrugged. "That's why I left and then I realised I have nowhere else to go… I walked around New York and contemplated going back to JBL's but I knew he would start asking questions and digging deeper and I don't want to get him more involved than he already is and then I just knew somebody was watching me… that's when I got attacked…"

"So who is attacking you Amy! You need to go to the police!" Trish exclaimed.

"I can't Trish! You don't understand!" Amy exhaled in frustration. "This is a serious guy, he's got serious connections and I'm not safe wherever I go…"

"You're safe here…" Trish said as she placed a hand on Amy's shoulder. "We will sort this out Amy together…"

Amy dashed Trish a half smile but was still unconvinced. Amy knew she had to think of a long term solution, sofa hopping was only going to protect her for so long.

-x-x-x-x-

Melina sat in her apartment, it wasn't as grand as the rest of The Upper East Side mostly because her family wasn't rich and famous like the others. She had to work for everything she owned. She swore the job with Trish was temporary and she would eventually go back to college but that never happened.

A buzz in her apartment caught her attention as she watched some reality tv. She peeled herself off of her sofa as she answered the telecom.

"Hello?" Melina sang.

"Hey baby it's me… open up." Dave Batista replied.

Melina has finally lost her virginity, she was nervous at first but it seems it has just bought their relationship to the next level. They were closer than ever and things were only getting better. She was falling for him, truly and undeniably falling for him… that's why she allowed him to have her. He was her first time and he had wormed his way into her heart, she was intoxicated by him.

Melina buzzed up her boyfriend, Dave sheepishly walked into the apartment as Melina noticed his head was bruised and cut which sent her into a panic. "Oh my god… what happened!?"

"I fell down the stairs…" Dave chuckled, playing it cool as he replied to his girlfriend and placed his arms around her waist. "Accidents happen right?"

"I think I have my first aid kit somewhere…" Melina examined his head as she pulled away from his touch and started rooting round her kitchen. She finally found the first aid box and forcefully sat Dave down on the sofa as she began to cleanse his wound and placed a plaster over the cut. "So apart from falling down the stairs how has your day been?"

"A lot better now I'm here with you!" Dave chuckled as he placed a kiss on Melina's forehead once she had bandaged him up. "So you in work again tomorrow?"

"I'm always in work…" Melina chuckled. "Before you came along I was worried one day I would end up marrying Trish and the job…"

"So Trish is your boss right?" Dave raised an eyebrow. "Trish Stratus, America's Sweetheart…"

"Yeah I'm sure I already told you that…" Melina brushes of the comment thinking nothing of it.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure you did…" Dave trailed off as he began to drift into his thoughts. "I mean I know she's America's Sweetheart but she isn't that sweet with you… you practically run the company for her but yet she takes all the credit."

"Oh no Trish is a great boss…" Melina defended them blonde as she finally finished clearing up the first aid box and sat herself next to Dave. "Why are you so interested in my job all of a sudden?"

"I just wanna know who it is that keeps you from spending time with me that's all…" Dave half-joked as he passionately gazed at Melina, embracing her in a deep and longing smooch.

Things began to spice up as Dave began to kiss on Melina's neck as Melina pulled away causing frustration to Dave.

"I'm not really in the mood tonight Dave…" Melina admitted as she attempted to just cuddle with her boyfriend instead.

Dave completely ignored Melina's comment continuing with his foreplay as Melina began to grow uncomfortable.

"Dave stop I'm not in the mood…" Melina sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" Dave scoffed. "You're my woman and you shouldn't leave your man horny that's not how you keep a man…"

Melina looked down as she sighed. "I'm sorry…"

Dave smirked as he placed Melina's face in his hands and began to make out with her extremely roughly. Melina wasn't enjoying the experience but that was her man and she didn't want to dissatisfy him. Not if she wanted to keep her man.

The Next Day

-x-x-x-x-

After tossing and turning all night and being greeted by horrific nightmares every time she managed to get some sleep, Amy opened her eyes to find the sun rising over the concrete jungle. Her mind hadn't really shut off and she was in and out of broken sleep all night, she decided there was no use in trying to sleep anymore.

She continued to stare at the skyline, it mesmerised her. Somewhere so beautiful like New York, somewhere she used to call home was now nothing but a danger to herself.

Amy stretched her arms in the air when the sound of Trish's heels broke her trancelike state. It was 6am, that was what the clock on the wall told her. Trish was already prepared for the day in her two piece navy blue suit, paired with a killer pair of stilettos.

"Sorry I didn't wake you did I?" Trish asked as she poured herself and the redhead two glasses of orange juice.

"No I didn't really sleep to begin with…" Amy confessed as she picked herself up from the bed making her way into the open kitchen and planting herself on the stool by the island. Trish passed Amy the orange juice which she began to sip. "No coffee? I swear you used to be an addict…"

"I'm trying to detox… too much caffeine isn't good for the soul or my anxiety." Trish fibbed nervously avoiding eye contact. "You know Amy… you're probably going to hate me… but I spoke to JBL."

"Why would you do that!!!" Amy exclaimed as she sighed. She picked herself up from the kitchen as she began to pack her stuff once again and stormed around Trish's penthouse. "You have no idea what you have done now Trish!"

"I'm trying to help…" Trish replied calmly as she allowed Amy to storm around and pack her bags seemingly unfazed about the frantic redhead.

Amy rolled her eyes as she came out of the bathroom now dressed for the day ahead in her black skinny jeans and red plaid shirt and red converse. "Look I appreciate you letting me stay but this is none of your business and you shouldn't be informing my ex's uncle about my where abouts I can handle myself!"

"Not what it looked like to me!" Trish replied as she watched Amy make her way towards the elevator.

Amy was ready to leave, she needed to get out of New York for good. She would go somewhere, anywhere, start a new life, potentially change her name. It was time to move on from what used to be.

As Amy continued to plan her next step in her head, the elevator pinged indicating that it was now ready for her exit. Amy ready to plung in was surprised to see JBL and Jillian already stood in the elevator with Trish smiling as they arrived.

"You're not going anywhere this time Amy…" JBL replied.

"Look I've got to get to work but I think you have a lot to talk about." Trish said as her eyes flickered between Amy and JBL. "I'll call you later."

Trish smiled at Amy who returned the gesture with a scowl. JBL and Jillian smiled at Trish, thanking her for giving them the call. Trish nodded before she went into the elevator - leaving the three in silence.

"It's time for us to get this sorted once and for all." JBL exclaimed as Amy sighed and slumped into the sofa.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish sat at her desk as she tapped her pen rythmatically, Melina was nowhere to be seen in the office once again. Granted that she wasn't late but she was barely on time, it seemed to become a recurring pattern. It was out of character for Melina as she so often pointed out to Trish that if she was ever on time she was late and if she was early she was on time, she had OCD when it came to her timing.

The clock buzzed to make it to the start of the work day and Melina rushed through the door. Once again her hair was messy and she didn't look quite upto standards. "I'm sorry Trish I've just had a hectic night… Dave fell down his stairs and I had to look after him and then my alarm didn't go off this morning…" Melina blurred without taking a breathe. "Then there was traffic…"

"It's fine Melina… it's just you're acting very out of character recently… is everything okay?" Trish sighed. "You're nearly late every morning, you never look like your fully prepared for the day, you're not as well presented as you normal are what's going on…"

"I've had a few off days Trish…" Melina snapped. "If it wasn't anybody else it wouldn't be noticed but no because it's me and I have to be perfect the minute I fall off just for a second you're on my back about it!"

"I'm not on your back I'm asking as a friend.:." Trish said softly attempting to avoid confrontation, that wasn't what she had intended when she had gone into the conversation. "Is everything okay with your relationship you have seem a bit distracted since you started dating."

"God forbid I have a life outside of StratusFashion…" Melina muttered as she rolled her eyes. "Let's just drop it okay? I'm fine."

Trish wasn't yet convinced but could see how defensive Melina was being, she had been acting strange and Trish couldn't quite put her finger on it. All she knew was she would get to the bottom of Melina's changed behaviour. Sooner or later.

-x-x-x-x-

It was a brand new day, Jeff woke up before his alarm as he began to get used to the daily routine. After he began to give rehab a chance he was dealing with the situation a whole lot better, in addition to the recent guest appearances from the Upper East Siders it had put a lot of things in perspective for him. He wasn't in high school anymore and he needed to stop acting like it. His hatred towards Trish had gone, despite her aborting their baby; he understood why she would. He also knew her reasons for keeping Shane's baby. It was time to admit that he and Trish hadn't been together for two years and there was a possiblility with the recent revelations that ship may have sailed. He needed to let her live her life while he lived his life in a productive and positive way. It may be time for him to finally let her go once and for all. He loved her, he always had and always will but he now knew that it was time to stop living in the past. It was time to accept they had both made mistakes and they were both kids in love - it was time to accept they weren't kids anymore.

Jeff bounced into the group therapy session with a grin on his face, something completely alien to the rest of the addicts as they never seen him without his brooding intensity before today.

"Jeff Hardy smiling?" Mick chuckled. "And to what do we owe this pleasure…"

"I've had an epitheny…" Jeff admired as he slumped down into his chair, the smile didn't waver from his well-structured face. "If I want to change my life then I've got to start with a change in myself."

"Isn't that what Ric preaches every day, twenty four hours a day…" Paul scoffed. "Has he brainwashed you since you had that chat? It would make a lot more sense."

"The son of a bitch probably had his first wank since being here that's all…" Steve replied mockingly. "Sometimes it takes jacking off to really get a man thinking…"

"No…" Jeff frowned. "And definitely no. I'm just sick of living in the past when everybody's living their future."

"Don't listen to them…" Debra playfully hit Paul on the back of his ponytail as she chuckled while also throwing a 'be nice' look at Steve. "I think that's great news… you do get to a certain point where you say enough is enough and I genuinely think you've reached it Jeff… well done darling."

"That is good news." Ric's voice echoed through the hall causing the group to turn around. "Now let's see if you really mean that."

-x-x-x-x-

"So are you going to tell us who it is Amy!" JBL exclaimed as he began to grow impatient with the redhead, her withholding information from them was just prolonging the process of find her attacker. "We know it's somebody who is in New York at the moment and somebody who was at Fashion Week!"

"Honey…" Jillian said softly which contrasted JBL's unusually harsh tone. "We care about you and we want you to be safe… we're just trying to help and all you need to is give us a name… it's that simple."

"No!" Amy snapped back. "This is exactly why I left again! How is that going to help anyone, what happens when I give his name huh? I go to the police and they don't have enough evidence and he gets free and comes after me anyway?"

"We won't allow that to happen!" JBL sighed. "We will make sure justice is served!"

"How are you going to do that?" Amy scoffed. "I'm not a McMahon or a Jericho or a Stratus… nobody cares about what happens to me JBL!"

"Honey if you don't speak up then this could happen to somebody else!" Jillian sighed. "Perhaps it's already happening to somebody else right now? You need to stop this man from inflicting cruelty on others look at how it's affecting you."

"I'm fine!" Amy insisted.

"You are not fine Amy!" JBL shouted which caused both Amy and Jillian to jump - he barely lost his temper but when he did he was not a pushover. "You are running away from your problems, avoiding them, sofa surfing, you have nearly been beaten to death not once but twice! What if next time he finishes you off what then?"

"JBL that's not helping…" Jillian frowned.

"She's not helping herself or anybody else that may be being affected by this man!" JBL snapped. "Now Amy… I left Jeff to his own devices and he overdosed and nearly died… I won't make that mistake with you… we may not be blood but I think of you as my family and I'm not leaving here until you agree to help yourself."

Amy looked at the concern on JBL's face which was being expressed by heated anger. She knew he was only getting mad because he cared but she couldn't admit to saying her abuser. If she admitted it to the public that meant she would have to admit it to herself. That was one thing she couldn't do - she didn't think she ever would be able to.

"I can't…" Amy spoke softly, her tone had no fight her anymore and instead she sounded defeated. "I'm sorry I can't do that JBL."

"No I'm sorry Amy." JBL sighed. "You're on your own… I'm not going to watch you give up and roll over… that's not who you are."

"How do you know who I am JBL?" Amy said as she tried to hold back her ready eyes. "I'm not the teenager who used to sneak into your nephews bedroom and I'm not that girl with the fire in her belly… it's been put out for a long time."

"You not what else you're not…" JBL replied matter-of-factly. "You're not a victim!"

Amy looked at JBL but broke their gaze first as she tried her hardest to maintain her cold exterior. It wasn't working, JBL could see right past it. He couldn't do anything, he couldn't help her. She wouldn't accept the help.

"Let's go Jillian." JBL directed rather than asked as he pulled Jillian gently to his direction and the two emptied Trish's penthouse. As the elevator doors closed, Amy's emotions she was holding back poured through as she began to sob.

-x-x-x-x-

The tension between Melina and Trish had been present throughout the day - this didn't stop them from coming together as a team but the distance was evident between them. Melina couldn't believe that Trish had the nerve to question her relationship, even if she was right. It was her first relationship, her first time, her first love. She was blinded by her emotions and Trish could see that.

Trish knew the last thing she wanted to do was push Melina away from her. The blonde eyed up her employee from her office before storming out and standing in front of her. "Mel… I'm sorry I don't want this to be weird with us and I was out of line, i was just trying to look out for you."

"I don't need you to look out for me Trish everybody sees me as this quiet, shy girl but I can look after myself." Melina looked at Trish and half smiled. "Thanks for the apology though…"

"I'm just very protective of you Melina!" Trish admitted, playing along with Melina. She didn't want the brunette to feel like she was being attacked as it would just push her further away. "But you're right so tell me what happened with your boyfriend? How did he fall down the stairs? Was it bad?"

"He had a bit of a cut and a bump on his head but luckily that's the worst that happened to him." Melina smiled. "I'm so happy Trish… I really am… and he's a good guy… you have nothing to worry about."

As if on cue, Dave Batista walked through to Trish's office. His head wound was covered by a bandage while his eyes were black. Trish couldn't help but feel uneasy about him, her stomach turned when she made eye contact with him.

"Trish I've not given you a chance to meet Dave properly and since you are both big parts of my life I told him to come and pick me up!" Melina smiled as she rubbed her boyfriends huge bicep.

Trish couldn't help but noticed Dave - apart from their brief encounter at her fashion show she hadn't seen him before. So why was it that his energy felt very familiar.

"Hi nice to meet you officially Trish right?" Dave introduced himself, his charm was present at all times but didn't seem genuine (at least not to Trish) "I've heard great things about you…"

Trish was weary as she took his hand and shook it firmly, showing no signs of intimidation. "I hope you're looking after my girl… she's a special one."

Melina blushed not noticing the tension between Dave and Trish.

"I know and I don't plan on letting anything mess up what we have…" Dave's hostility was covered by a soft tone which didn't go unnoticed by Trish. Did he just threaten her?

As the two let go of each other's hands, Trish tried to picture where she had seen Dave before. His eyes were so familiar.

"Well we best be going anyway… I left the car outside don't want to be caught up in that New York City traffic…" Dave chuckled. "It was a pleasure to meet you Trish Stratus."

Trish nodded but she suspiciously eyed up Dave and Melina walking out of the building. When she was about to the thoughts to bed she noticed something which linked Dave to the attacks on Amy. His tattoo on his arms. He was the one who attacked Amy. It was confirmed in Trish's head - she just needed one other person to confirm it now.

-x-x-x-x-

Jeff sat opposite Ric, their one on one therapy session was on the way and Ric was testing Jeff's comments from earlier. Ric could see the difference in Jeff, he was trying but he needed to push his limits and get out of his comfort zone.

The blue-haired man sat confidently across from his mentor, his left leg rested steadily on his right knee as he slouched in front of him. "I mean it Ric… it's finally sunk in…"

"Jeff…" Ric spoke calmly. "Would this be anything to do with a certain blonde girl being pregnant? I heard your conversation with your friends last night…"

"They're not my friends." Jeff shot down. "Besides I'm happy for Trish… she's finally getting the life she deserves with a man who treats her right…"

Ric looked at Jeff's composed exterior and could see beyond the front. He knew how he needed to deal with Jeff, he had to make him confront his feelings in a healthy way instead of the two extremes - one extreme is acting like he doesn't feel anything which leads him down the road of drugs and serial sexing or the other is acting like he's fine with everything and not allowing himself to feel the normal emotions you are supposed to feel in certain situations.

"I guess it's for the best that you two broke up then…" Ric continued to press the subject - he knew Trish was the key to get the real Jeff Hardy to open up. It was a risky maneuver but one he would hope would work in his favour. "She's got the billion dollar boyfriend, billion dollar business and she will soon have a billion dollar baby!"

Jeff's smile wavered slightly as he really took a moment to think about the situation. He began to feel instant regret, it was like he had been in a nightmare for years. His addiction ruined his life, his morals, his relationship, his personality. He wished he could turn back time, start again. Be the person Trish needed him to be, the person he was before he started using again.

"Don't you agree Jeff?" Ric continued as he noticed Jeff go into deep thought. "You've gave her the perfect fairytale ending when you messed up the relationship…"

Jeff didn't understand that Ric was getting his emotions rattled on purpose and that there was a reason behind it, he just felt like he was being attacked. The guilt settling in once again as he began to think how badly he had treated Trish and how badly he had behaved in the last few years. He didn't know who he was anymore. The good guy that lost his way or the bad guy that took too long to show his real colours.

Jeff looked at Ric his comfortable exterior was beginning to crumble - he began to look uneasy. This is what Ric wanted, he wanted to push him out of his comfort zone. When Jeff gets out of rehab he will have to deal with a lot of real life situations that would make him feel uncomfortable, Ric was subconsciously teaching Jeff how to deal with it and how to feel about his choices before he let his guilt push him back to the white powder.

"Jeff…" Ric continued as he watched the rockstar blank out . "How do you feel about this situation with Ms Stratus."

"I've told you I'm happy for her." Jeff gritted his teeth as he began to grow impatient with the questions that were being dropped.

"You can be happy for her…" Ric chuckled as he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes gently before facing the blue haired man in front of him. "But how do you feel about the situation, she's your ex girlfriend are you saying that you're happy that she moved on and is pregnant with another man's child?"

"No I'm just happy that she is happy." Jeff replied defensively.

"But how do you feel Jeff…" Ric repeated once again as Jeff's composed exterior began to crack and the true ugly feelings Jeff was feeling slowly started to release. "Tell me how it makes you feel."

"You wanna know how it makes me feel?" Jeff snapped as he allowed the emotions into his system. "It makes me feel pretty shitty, it makes me feel regret, it makes me feel anxious, it makes me feel sad, it makes me angry, it makes me feel guilty, it makes me feel disappointed. It makes me feel every type of emotion that I suppressed over the years because I'm still in love with her and I'm the reason we are not together. It makes me feel sick to my stomach, is that what you wanted to hear Ric!?"

Ric slowly clapped as he watched the rockstar slowly calm down after listing off his emotions one by one, Jeff raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Don't you feel a little bit better now?" Ric asked.

Jeff nodded slightly. "Yeah I guess I do…"

"This is why hiding your emotions, pretending you don't have emotions, it's not healthy, if you want to beat this addiction and stay clean on the outside then you need to be honest with yourself and the people around you with how you feel." Ric analysed as Jeff nodded in agreement. "You don't need to numb the pain Jeff… if anything you need to embrace it… emotions are what make us human."

-x-x-x-x-

Amy sat in Trish's apartment as she began to sob slightly, she stared out into the skyline of New York. How could she not feel safe in her hometown, the place where she had lived, the place she was born, the place she called home.

The sound of the elevator pinging caught Amy's attention as she quickly wiped her eyes and placed a fake smile on her face. "Hey Trish… I'm gonna go but I wanted to say bye in person."

"You're not going anywhere not this time." Trish said matter-of-factly as she shook her head. "You're done running away, you're going to stay here with me until we get rid of Dave Batista once and for all…"

Amy felt paralysed as she heard the man's name. Amy gulped before she continued to speak wearily. "I don't know who you're talking about…"

"Don't." Trish glared at the redhead. "The things he's done to you… I'm scared he will do the same to Melina… maybe even worse… "

Amy sat in silence as she watched Trish frantically walk up and down. Trish turned to face Amy, her hands on her hips as she waited for Amy to respond. Amy thought about it and she knew she had to do something.

"He's smart and he will have all his tracks covered he used to be in the police force so he knows his way around the law…" Amy began to speak. "He can't know that you know Trish… he will hunt you down."

"I'm not scared of him." Trish replied.

"You should be." Amy shot back.


	14. Plan Of Action

**A/N - new chapter out! Im very grateful for any reviews I receive, if you could continue to show your support for this story it will be very much appreciated. If there's anything you would like to see or any advice on how I could improve this story I'm all ears! Also I've been on my phone so I've not been using lyrics or anything but that will change when I'm back on my laptop !**

 **DISCLAIMER- I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED**

 **1 Week Later**

Shane sat in his suite in The Crown Jewel. He had been laying low since he had found out he was going to be a father. He sat on the king size bed as he was wrapped in his fluffy grey dressing gown, he watched on his laptop from the cameras he had installed in Trish's penthouse.

Since the news had been revealed he had been giving Trish her space - he didn't like it. It made him uneasy that the mother of his unborn child wasn't even his woman at this moment in time.

He knew he had to be careful how he played out the situation, Trish's trust in Shane was up in the air and they hardly spoke at all. He hated it. He felt as if he was losing control of the situation.

Shane began to worry about Trish involving herself in Amy's drama as he heard and watched them on the cameras. He didn't want Trish or more importantly the heir of the McMahon's getting hurt by Amy's mishaps. How could he get involved? She would know he has been spying on her and any chance of a future reunion would be ruined.

His blood boiled as he continued to watch the blonde and the redhead on his laptop. He picked up his cell phone and dialled her number.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish sat in her penthouse with her new found housemate Amy - the two had vowed that they will come together to get rid of Dave Batista once and for all. Amy was nervous, the thought of coming face to face with the man she had been running from for so long. It terrified her. Trish had managed to convince Amy that she could finally get her life back to normal, she didn't have to hide anymore and she could come back to New York, take the next stop of her life without looking over her shoulder; also worried about Melina's safety in the meantime.

"No offence Trish your penthouse kind of makes me feel like I'm being watched." Amy chuckled nervously as she began to scan the room. Little did she know that Trish was being watched.

"This is probably the safest place in New York City for you." Trish shot down the comment as she placed a plate of toast and scrambled eggs in front of Amy. "You made the right decision. We will get

that monster far away from you and Melina and any other person he could hurt."

"Can we stop talking about this just for one second… it kind of freaks me out." Amy admitted as she stabbed some of the eggs with her fork and began to munch it all down.

"Yeah course lets change the subject." Trish half-smiled as she sat opposite the redhead. "Have you spoke to Matt?"

"No…" Amy paused for a second as she heard her ex's name before she continued to eat her fluffy eggs. "He's gone back to LA… that's his life now."

"I'm sure he would be back here in a heartbeat if he knew what was actually going on with you." Trish replied. "You know that right…"

Amy stopped eating the eggs completely as she placed the fork on her plate and sighed. "I'm not his girlfriend Trish. I've not been his girlfriend for over two years."

"Doesn't mean you don't both love each other anymore." Trish shrugged. "Making it official doesn't make the love stronger."

"Yeah well I cheated on him with Adam… he will never forgive me for that." Amy admitted as she avoided eye contact with Trish. "Anyway change of subject once again… Why hasn't your boyfriend come to visit you? I've been here for a week and still not seen sign of the boy wonder."

"He's not my boyfriend anymore." Trish chuckled. "We're having a little break."

"Ouch." Amy replied. "I'd say I'm sorry but I've always rooted for you and Jeff…"

Trish smiled at the comment until she remembered the last conversation she had with her ex. The way he looked at her with disgust as she admitted to aborting their unborn child, how she was as dead to him as the baby that once rested in her stomach.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you feel awkward… I know you guys haven't been on the best terms since the whole VegasGate situation." Amy apologised as she noticed the change in Trish's facial expression.

"I'm just so happy that he's finally gone to rehab. I'm happy he's really trying to better himself." Trish shook her head as she tried to ignore the lump in her throat while she was talking. "It's crazy because at one point this is all I wanted and I used to dream that we would look back and it would just be a distant memory and we would still get the happily ever after we always dreamed off."

"You never know what the future holds." Amy said optimistically as she tried to improve the blonde's mood, noticing the sadness in her hazel eyes.

"Yes I do." Trish sighed, inhaling deeply as she tried to calm herself down. "I'm pregnant Amy. I'm having another man's child. It's finally time to accept that we ended that night in Vegas."

Just then Trish's phone rang, she looked at the screen to find Shane McMahon on her screen.

"Are you going to answer that?" Amy asked.

Trish looked at Amy then back at her phone as she pressed the red button on her touch screen. "I need to get to work."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Shane was livid - he had watched as Trish blatantly ignored his calls. Did she think this was a game? He was growing tired of her tactics and grew tired of her secrets. After hearing her conversation with Amy regarding Jeff Hardy, he couldn't help but feel a huge overpowering feeling of hatred and jealousy take control of his body.

The young McMahon paced up and down his suite, frantic and obsessing over the words Trish had said. What was it about the blonde beauty that got him so hooked? Why did Jeff Hardy have such an impact on the female? He couldn't get his head around any of it. Shane looked at himself in the mirror as he stared at himself. Rage filled his bones as he clenched his fists and punched the mirror repeatedly releasing his anger.

His knuckles were bloody but his temper had evaporated. As he inhaled deeply he noticed an older female maid stood behind him, she had obviously witnessed the whole of Shane's mental breakdown.

"What's your name!" Shane echoed through his suite, his annoyance at the maids presence evidence. "Answer me!"

"Vickie Guerrero sir!" Vicki replied back as she wearily stepped away from the possessed billionaire. "I am sorry for intruding sir I have just come to clean the room…"

"Well what are you waiting for?" Shane moved in front of Vicki with aggression in his eyes and venom on his tongue. "Clean up and order me a new mirror… also knock next time if you still want your job that is."

"Yes sir." Vickie replied quickly as she ran back our the room to grab her cleaning trolley as Shane stormed out the room leaving blood all over the smashed mirror and on the sides.

 **-x-x-x-x**

Trish arrived at her office, as she strutted into her abode she noticed Dave raising his voice to Melina as he looked pretty upset with her. Trish kinked her eyebrow and darted straight over to the new couple. "What's going on?"

Dave noticed Trish and a crooked, spine chilling smile purged onto his lips as he placed an arm around Melina's slim waist. "I'm just saying bye to my lady that's all…"

Trish analysed Melina's face - she didn't look happy, she stared at the floor avoiding Trish's gaze and their touch looked forced and unwanted. "It doesn't look like it. Melina are you okay?"

Melina looked at Trish about to use her own voice when Dave cackled and interrupted. "I just told you we're okay."

"Funny I wasn't asking you." Trish hissed. "Let her answer her own questions…"

Melina could see the frustration building up in Dave as he continued to snarl at the blonde. It was clear the two didn't like each other. It was becoming a regular occurrence in the mornings. Dave would drop Melina off and Trish would come over, they'd compete for a few moments before Melina would have to intervene.

Melina placed a hand gently on Dave's waist as she kissed his cheek and looked back to her boss and long time friend. "I'm fine Trish."

Trish couldn't help but feel angry when she kissed him and stuck up for him - she wasn't stupid and she seen the way he controlled and manipulated Melina. It angered the blonde that Melina allowed him to walk all over her - she worried about what he might do next.

"I should be going… I love you baby." Dave smirked as he pulled Melina into a passionate display of affection whole time his eyes stared at Trish - he knew she wasn't fooled but it was like playing a game; somehow he always won. "Trish Stratus… it was a pleasure as always."

"The pleasure is all yours." Trish mumbled under her breathe before storming into her office. Melina watched as both the competitors parted ways.

The brunette sunk into her chair as she began to grow tired of Dave and Trish's subliminal diss matches. She was happy with Dave (at least she thought she was) and didn't understand why Trish was so protective of the brunette.

As Melina got lost in her thoughts she noticed Shane McMahon storm straight past her desk and head into Trish's office as he knocked repeatedly with a bandaged up hand.

"Excuse me Shane…" Melina voiced timidly. "Trish isn't seeing anyone right now if you want to make an appointment."

"I want to see her now." Shane ignored Melina as he knocked on her office. "Buzz me in Melina…"

"I can't do that…" Melina replied.

"It's fine Melina…" Trish appeared out of her office. "He can come in…"

Shane stormed through into her office as he began to wave his hands about accompanying his exaggerated words. "I've been worried about you Trish… no calls… no texts… you're carrying my baby and yet we've had no communication what's so ever and you can't shut me out of your life… not now!"

"What happened to your hand?" Trish ignored Shane's rant as she noticed his bandaged up hand.

"It's nothing… it was an accident." Shane brushed off the question as he carried on with his rant. "Trish I'm sick of being on the outside looking in!"

"No I understand…" Trish replied.

"I want to let the world know." Shane smiled. "Let me host us a party it can be at the Crown Jewel."

"That's a great idea except I don't want a huge event just a gathering and we have it at my penthouse? Tomorrow night?" Trish smiled at Shane.

Shane smiled back, happy with the outcome at the outcome. "Sounds good… tomorrow night, 8 o'clock…"

Trish nodded at Shane who moved into kiss her which the blonde moved her face so he kissed her cheek instead, a nervous smile approached Trish's face. "I told you I need time Shane… stop pushing this… it'll only make things worse."

Anger hit Shane's core once again as he painted his face and nodded reluctantly. "Yeah I get it… I'll see you tomorrow…"

He didn't get it… truth be told it baffled him. He was losing patience with Trish and didn't know how they would ever get through this part of their rough patch. Would she even allow them to work past it? Did she want to work past it?

Shane emptied the building as Trish stood in her office taking out her cell phone and ringing a certain redhead.

Amy sat on the other side of the phone as she watched episodes of Maury as would dramatically 'oooh' and 'ahhhh' at the screen. She noticed her cell phone ring as she answered it. "Hey Trish…"

"Change of plan…" Trish smirked. "Tomorrow night, my penthouse. We expose Dave Batista. In front of everyone on the Upper East Side. This is going to work Amy."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Two weeks into his rehab sentence and Jeff had come a long way - he was becoming more open and social in the group he had been placed in, he was beginning to form genuine friendships, he even began to gain a mutual respect with Ric.

Although he had come a long way he still had a long way to go, he wasn't completely opening up and dealing with his long history of repressed emotions.

Jeff sat with his legs crossed as he tried focused on his breathing. Meditation was a practice that was pushed onto the group but Jeff often seemed distracted and could never completely focus. It didn't go unnoticed by Ric.

The group stopped their meditation as instructed by Ric and began to erupt in conversation.

"Meditating do I look like a motherfuckin monk." Steve scoffed. He was still resistant to the charms of rehab but provided comedic value if nothing else.

"Definitely not you chat too much." Paul joked.

"You mealy mouthed bastard." Steve hit back.

"Its like the pot calling the kettle." Mick rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean you fat, hairy ass bastard." Steve snapped back.

"I wouldn't expect someone with your IQ to understand." Mick replied smugly.

"Now boys can we all put our dicks and the measuring tapes away." Debra sighed.

"Can everybody stop cursing for one second." Ric announced as he analysed the group. "We're supposed to feel zen like after meditation."

"It's a load of horse shit." Steve chuckled. "I breathe on a daily basis. I don't need y'all to tell me how to do that."

"You're missing the point Steve and if you carry on with your negativity I'll have no choice but to extend your stay here with the judge until you give it a proper chance to work for you." Ric spoke calmly.

"He's trying to sabotage us!" Steve shouted. "Little bastard lucky I don't rip his wrinkly head off."

Steve stormed off as Paul laughed at the angered bald headed redneck, continuing to antagonise him as he walked away, Debra followed behind as she tried to calm Steve down leaving Mick, Ric and Jeff sat alone.

"Don't listen to him Ric." Mick reassured his mentor as he patted the older male on his back. "He's just an angry redneck."

"I deal with people like that all the time Mick…" Ric chuckled. "That was very mild to some of the stuff I've seen… so how are you finding it now."

"I really believe this time I'll survive on the outside… my wife is going to be so proud of me." Mick smiled proudly. "I want to thank you for everything Ric hopefully this time will be the last appearance in this facility."

"That's great news Mick…" Ric nodded in approval at the chubby male. "How about you Jeff… I can see you're trying but something is blocking you from fully embracing the practice."

Jeff shrugged, silent as usual as he watched the scene in front of him. He spoke when he it was worth speaking but a part from that he just observed the other addicts - he found them amusing.

"Come on Jeff…" Ric chuckled. "Don't make me have to Trish Stratus it out of you."

"Very funny." Jeff frowned at the joke made by Ric as Mick looked between the young rockstar and the elderly mentor. "I just don't see the point I mean I'm trying to embrace it but I don't understand how it will help me stay sober."

"Well that's simple Jeff…" Ric smiled, he loved to explain his reasonings behind the madness. "On the outside you look for an escape from reality… hence why you use drugs… you don't need drugs if you meditate… meditation helps you put things into perspective and helps you connect to yourself rather than connecting to the high."

"You should totally be a motivational speaker." Mick gasped in awe over the wisdom of the white haired man.

Jeff looked still unconvinced. "Well you're supposed to be peaceful when you meditate I just overthink everything… my mind isn't a nice place to take a break."

"So what do you think about? What pops into your head when you try to meditate." Ric asked curious to get in Jeff's own words what demons he has to face daily.

Jeff sat quietly for a second, weary on opening up but decided against his usual sheltered thoughts and spilled out the truth. "My parents, my mistakes, all the wrong I've done in my life…. Trish."

"You need to stop torturing yourself young Hardy." Ric spoke matter-of-faculty. "You can't change your past but you are now in control of your future."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Hunter sat in the security office at The Crown Jewel. He watched the CCTV cameras while he filled out the standard paperwork. He was considered an asset within McMahon Corporations, he was smart, calm, charming and Vince believed he had a strong head on his shoulders.

He watched as Vickie - one of the maids that had been working at The Crown Jewel since its opening came out of Shane's suite with blood stained clothes and acting out of character.

Hunter worked closely with the staff at the Crown Jewel, they loved him and respected him. He was a man of the people.

He walked casually to find the maid, curiosity had gotten the better off of him. Hunter wasn't a fan of Shane McMahon, the two often butt heads. Hunter seen Shane as a spoilt brat with serious issues that he should probably see a therapist over and Shane hated Hunter as he couldn't bully or belittle, he knew Hunter seen through his bullshit.

Acting inconspicuous Hunter managed to bump into Vickie who was acting different. "Good morning Vickie, how are you doing today?"

"Fine." Vickie replied bluntly with an unconvincing smile plastered on her face. "Great."

"I noticed you took longer than usual to clean Shane McMahon's suite is everything okay?" Hunter asked. "You can tell me if not."

Vickie shook her head vigorously. "Perfectly fine."

"Vickie…" Hunter said, his tone showed he didn't believe a word she was saying. "What happened?"

"I went to clean Mr McMahon's suite as usual… he punched through a mirror and had a bit of a breakdown… he left me to clean his room…. then…" Vickie began to spill but found herself stopping as a concerned look came over her.

"Then?" Hunter asked, encouraging the woman to continue with her account.

"Well I shouldn't be snooping…" Vickie replied in an attempt to defend the young McMahon out of fear.

"This is just between us Vickie…" Hunter reassured. "You have my word."

"His laptop… he has some sort of surveillance in what looks like a very expensive penthouse… I didn't see much… just a girl with redhead lying about." Vickie admitted. "I don't know… it just creeped me out a bit…"

"Thank you Vickie." Hunter smiled as he took aboard the information, he grew more curious to find out what the boy wonder was upto.


	15. Collision Course

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **AUTHOR NOTE - I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE, I BROKE MY PHONE WHILE I WAS TRAVELLING AND I'VE ONLY RECENTLY COME HOME, I'VE BEEN SUPER BUSY AND NOT FOUND THE TIME TO WRITE AND EVEN WHEN I'VE HAD THE TIME TO WRITE I HAD SLIGHT AUTHORS BLOCK BUT I'VE PUSHED PAST IT AND FOUND SOME MORE INSPIRATION I KIND OF FORGOT WHERE I WAS TAKING THIS STORY BUT IT'S COME BACK TO ME AND I'M READY TO GIVE YOU THE NEXT CHAPTER. ALSO SPOILER FOR NEXT CHAPTER - JEFF IS GETTING OF REHAB SO ALL YOU THAT HAVE SAID YOU WANT HIM OUT YOU WON'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AS USUAL. I'M ALSO GOING TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF WHAT NOW? AS I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF DM'S REGARDING THAT STORY.**

Trish was all set for her pregnancy revelation party; more importantly the exposing of Dave Batista. She had invited all of her friends to make her feel more secure and protected and had convinced Melina and Dave to come together, offering her hand in surrender to Dave; or she made him believe.

Despite the fact Trish was confident with her plan to expose Dave - she didn't completely give thought to the fact that Shane wasn't going to be happy that this revelation party was just a pawn in Trish's scheme. She didn't care about that at the moment all she cared about was getting Dave away from Melina and getting justice for Amy.

The red head was nervous - Amy had a bad feeling in her stomach, the constant feeling of nausea forever present. She was finally going to confront her attacker, the man who had made her life hell for the last few years. It was a lot for her to handle and nerves were bouncing around like a yo-yo .

"You're going to be okay!" Trish reassured the redhead with a gentle cuddle. "I've got your back. It all ends tonight…"

Amy half smiled at the blonde but couldn't hide the worry from her face. She knew he had a temper, what he was capable of, she worried about the consequences. The red head decided to put the worries to the back of her mind, this was for the best. He deserved anything that was coming to him. Trish had also promised Amy she had a surprise in store to help support their accusations.

Trish had no worry in her heart, she was ready to take down the monster that was Dave Batista. She had invited all of her friends - including Stephanie and Chris who although the three aren't on best terms with each other couldn't not be invited.

The blonde had her hair in high volume ponytail, her bangs hanging and sculpting her face. She wore a long sleeve, mustard, patterned, silk shirt that revealed just the right amount of cleavage, classy yet sexy. It didn't help her breasts had practically doubled in size since she had first found out about her pregnancy. She paired the shirt with a black pleated midi skirt and black open toe heels.

Amy had been personally styled by Trish - they may have been plotting a take down but the blonde endured Amy she needed to look good while doing it. Trish knew that there would be reporters and high connected people attending her and Shane's gathering. Amy needed to look the part just as much as Trish.

Trish had finally managed to convince Amy to get rid of her punk rock attire and go for the smart yet casual style. Amy squeezed into some tight and figure hugging, black, ripped jeans matched with a black blazer and contrasting against her red polo neck jumper along with some leather wedge sandals.

The two females waited patiently for the guests to arrive, first being accompanied by Trish's very own baby father. Shane turned up with a bouquet of roses for his estranged ex-girlfriend as he gave her a peck on her cheeks, Trish looked bemused by the gesture reluctantly taking the roses off of him.

"I told you about this Shane…" Trish sighed. "Just because we are having a baby together it doesn't mean we are getting back together we have a long way to go before we even think about that."

"Well this is just a start at making amends." Shane attempted his most charming smile which Trish could see straight through since his last rampage. "I know we're not together right now but my parents are going to be here tonight… I need them to think we're on better terms than we are… plus all the reporters… I also kind of invited your mom-"

"Wait you told Alice to come?" Trish squealed as she placed a hand on her forehead, the last thing she needed was a mother-daughter civil war in the midst of the take down and baby reveal.

"Yeah she had no idea you were pregnant!" Shane spoke, he knew what game he was playing. If he couldn't convince Trish to get back with him, he hoped some wise words from Trish's mother may lead her on the right path. "Let's just play the part for tonight Trish…"

Amy raised an eyebrow at Shane, she immediately disliked him - not only because she rooted for Trish and Jeff to get back together but she could see how much of a slime ball he really was. He was manipulating the situation to his advantage.

"Fine…" Trish sighed in defeat. "I'll play along for now… you need to make sure your parents are nice to Stephanie… I don't want her feeling uncomfortable at any point while she's here!"

"Stephanie's coming?" Shane frowned. "I thought you weren't speaking to her."

"I'm not…" Trish replied. "But she's family."

"Fair enough… deal." Shane accepted Trish's offer and had every intention of keeping his family civil at the gathering. It was a huge deal for Shane, he needed to make sure the night went smooth. He had a plan of his own. He knew Trish was up to something, he had been spying on her after installing CCTV in her penthouse. He knew that her and the redhead were planning something - he wanted to use it to his advantage. He wanted to be the hero who saved the day and he had just an idea of how to do that.

Shane gazed at the red head stood silently as she observed the estranged couples interactions. He knew of Amy but never really spoke to her, he knew she was friends with Jeff and he also knew she had been staying at Trish's - something he wasn't supposed to know, from the brief conversations Amy and Trish had he had figured a few things out. 1. She was a Jeff Hardy fan. 2. She was the reason Trish wasn't taking this night serious. 3. She had been beat up by her ex boyfriend who Shane had figured out was now dating Melina. 4. Shane didn't approve of her and Trish's friendship.

"You're Amy right… team Xtreme veteran."

Amy glared at the patronising billionaire in front of her. A fake smile slapped on her lips as she nodded. "You're Shane… I've heard a little bit about you… not much… but enough."

Trish could feel the tension between Amy and Shane as she shot her baby's father a warning glare. The three were interrupted as the penthouse soon began to fill with guests, reporters and Upper East Siders alike. Within the next twenty minutes - Trish's penthouse would be full, a lot more people attended than first intended and the social gathering was definitely upgraded to an official Upper East Side event.

"I'm nervous Trish…" Amy panicked as the room began to fill. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can!" Trish exclaimed as Shane signalled her over to smooze the reporters. "Look I have to play my role, I need you to stay in the corner, act unassuming, blend in and as soon as Dave and Melina arrives… the plan will be under way."

Shane watched the two girls scheme and whisper, he would be angry - if he wasn't already one step ahead of them. He didn't need the drama, not tonight. This was about the declaration of the newest McMahon heir, not a scooby doo take down. He wasn't going to let anyone, not even Trish embarrass himself or his family.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie sat in New York traffic, her estimated time of arrival was 5 minutes. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She had been off the grid since the whole 'Trish going missing' incident, her dumping Jericho without being in a relationship with him situation had been playing on her mind. She was beginning to regret not being open about her feelings, why was she so adamant on being cold, emotionless and alone.

The limousine pulled up outside Trish's building, she took a deep breath as she stepped out of the vehicle. She wore a black, high neck bodycon dress. Her dress lay just above the knee revealing her smooth and moisturised long legs. She wore a pair of louboutins and matching black handbag. Her hair was slicked back into a long, straight and sleek ponytail.

As she walked up to the building she noticed another vehicle pull up and as she felt both nervous and excited about who got out of the limousine. Chris Jericho.

He walked upto the building acting as if Stephanie was invisible causing the defensive brunette to roll her eyes as they both walked through the lobby and entered the elevator together. She had hurt him, she had been hurting him for a while. He was unaware she was hurting herself while doing it - they were messy and complicated and everybody knows how Romeo and Juliet ended. It just wouldn't work. Stephanie knew that, she convinced herself that but she still missed him. She didn't want him to stay away from her or stay out of her life - even if he did infuriate her and annoy her. He had always been there; since kids. Yeah they might not have got along all the time (in fact pretty much any of the time) but he was a variable that never changed, until now.

"You just gonna act like you don't know me?" Stephanie chuckled.

"That's the thing Steph..." Chris snapped back at the brunette, still not recovered from their last conversation. "I don't think I do know you… I don't think I ever knew you atall."

Chris made eye contact with the brunette for the first time since the two had been in the proximity together. Her baby blue eyes showed what she was to afraid to say but that wasn't enough for the dirty blond haired man, instead she gulped down her emotions and broke the eye contact.

The dirty blond man scoffed as she shook his head in disbelief. "We're done this time… I can't see you, I can't be around you, I can't speak to you, I can't even look at you Steph…"

"Do you hate me that much?" Steph frowned.

"I don't hate you Steph…" Chris sighed. "I love you."

The elevator doors opened as Chris stormed out first, heading straight over to the workers who were handing out champagne. Stephanie stood for a moment while she took in the words that Chris had just said. One half of her was happy and buzzing and wanted to run up to him, kiss him and tell her she loved him too. The other half was filled with an overwhelming sadness as she realised that wasn't enough.

"Oh my god Steph!" Torrie smiled as she pulled the brunette into a tight hug. "I'm so excited that we're all here together I mean after the nightmare of my birthday gala it will be nice to just have everyone together, celebrating a new life with no drama!"

"I wouldn't speak to soon." Stephanie replied as she saw her parents empty the elevator as Shane approached to greet them.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Hey cock head…" Trish playfully greeted her step brother as she slowly approached the drunk man.

"Look Trish… I'm sorry about everything." Chris spoke as he skipped to the serious discussions. He had been feeling lonely since Trish had fell out with him and with his head up his ass with the Stephanie situation he needed the blonde for moral support. "I really didn't know about Maryse and I didn't tell Stephanie about you aborting Jeff's kid."

"Shhh…" Trish hushed her step brother as she looked to see if anybody was listening. "Look… I believe you… I was just mad… in all honesty if Maryse had come up to me and told me she was my sister then maybe we could've tried to have a relationship but she's ruined it now and as for the other thing… I can't really talk about that right here… me and you we're good though… I kind of need your support when Alice turns up… so if you could distract her from me for as long as possible then that would be amazing. Look Chris there is a lot going on tonight just be here for me I can't explain any more than that okay?"

Chris looked confused at his step sister. "What's going on?"

Trish noticed her mother walk through the elevator as her eyes widened. "Your time to shine I'll catch up with you later… love you brother."

Before Chris had a chance to reply he watched his step sister disappear into the crowded penthouse, he was left with so many questions but had no time to ponder. He knew Trish was up to something but if she asked him to distract the wicked witch of the Upper East Side then that's what he would do.

"Alice… step mother…" Chris greeted with a fraudulent smile placed on his face. "Why are you here alone?"

"Ahhh Christopher…" Alice greeted with an uninterested smirk on her face. "Your father is away on business… now I need to find Patricia it's very important…"

"You know Patricia… she's like a rare question mark butterfly, beautiful to look at but incredibly hard to find." Chris stalled his stepmother. "Can I get you a drink while she continues to host this exquisite shindig."

"What is she upto Christopher you're terrible at stalling and your nerves are all over the place." Alice interrogated Chris with her beady eyes watching him intensely. "Well?"

"I honestly don't know Alice…" Chris sighed in defeat knowing he was no match for the devil herself. "She's around somewhere."

Alice smirked with pride as she cracked Chris in under a minute, she began to parade around the room as she set on her quest to find her reckless daughter. Alice was far from happy that Trish was pregnant out of wedlock more so that she had heard it from Shane instead of her own daughter. Although she was angered by the situation she counted her blessings that Trish wasn't having Jeff Hardy's child.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Vince and Linda made their presence known, there was something about the McMahons - you could feel them when they moved, their energy captivated everyone in the room. Shane greeted his parents and frowned to see Hunter was stood behind them.

"What's he doing here?" Shane snarled.

"He's here to do his job…" Vince smiled falsely as he waved to fellow reporters, journalists, media folk and began to play the role he played so perfect while muttering to his son. "I'm not happy about this embarrassment of a pregnancy, don't let me down tonight son and don't anger me…"

Shane nodded as he knew not to test his father's patience, the two men were quickly interrupted by Linda who coughed intentionally as she watched her husband and son's conversation. "Now where is Patricia? I think we all need to take this time to bond, take pictures, do interviews… we need to show the world that we are a united front."

"United front?" Stephanie scoffed as she appeared from nowhere. "You disowned your own daughter this family shows no loyalty."

Vince scowled at his daughter - once Daddy's Little Princess now Daddy's Biggest Nuisance. Vince moved his hand to poke his daughter but Linda slowly and calmly stopped Vince from being too harsh on her, at least in public.

"Stephanie, darling, I think we need to talk…" Linda smiled as she forcefully gripped her arm and began to pull her away from the crowd before she harshly whispered in her ear. "You know nothing about loyalty… you have been that Jericho boy's play thing for the last few months and you have the cheek to turn up at your father's hotel, your family's legacy with the enemy! We're not going to go through all this here because look around you… there's people everywhere… for once in your pathetic life do something useful and just smile and keep your horrid little mouth closed okay?"

Stephanie glared at her mother and burst out into a fraudulent grin. "My pleasure…"

Hunter watched as Stephanie and Linda had words - truth be told he had become fond of the brunette and didn't agree with how the family treated her. He was in no position to say anything but he felt it was unfair that they exiled Stephanie yet praised Shane. Shane couldn't fool Hunter - in fact he saw right through him this is why the two would often clash. Hunter knew Shane was a loose cannon and after his conversation with Vickie Guerrero he knew he was up to something.

Hunter watched as Stephanie escaped the clutches of her family and mingled into the crowd, the bearded male began to follow her.

As Stephanie turned round the corner she felt a touch on her shoulder, she turned around; defensively.

"What?" Stephanie snarled before noticing it was actually Hunter who was tapping her, he was one of the few people in her life that was kind to her in the recent weeks. "Sorry I didn't mean to snap at you I thought…"

"Yeah I know… no worries…" Hunter chuckled. "I need to talk to you about your brother…"

As Hunter and Stephanie continued their conversation, a drunken Chris Jericho observed from the other side of the room. In the short time he had been in the penthouse, he had more than enough drinks to get his buzz on. He believed alcohol would numb the rejection he had received of Stephanie. Despite the crowded penthouse he had his eyes on the brunette all night, he could feel his jealousy growing as she conversated with her father's henchman - with clouded judgement the drunken playboy stumbled over to them.

"So I thought I would warn you…" Hunter explained to Stephanie. "It's weird."

"He's always been weird…" Stephanie scoffed.

As Stephanie began to interpret the information Hunter had just gave her regarding her brother, she kinked her eyebrow as she noticed a stumbling Chris Jericho make his way over to them. She sighed and rolled her eyes, as she noticed the lack of coordination in her flame.

"You really are a no good trash bag hoe!" Chris hissed with venom and vodka fresh on his tongue. "I pour my heart out to you and yet here you are flirting with … _him._ "

Hunter chuckled as he placed a hand on Chris' shoulder. "You have the wrong idea…"

Before Hunter had a chance to react Chris swiftly clenched his fist and forcefully punched Hunter in the jaw. The connection enough to interrupt the background chatter as the penthouse came into silence as Chris began ranting and raving.

Hunter was seemingly unaffected by the punch despite it being a cracking punch and his years of security work came in handy as he began to restrain Chris and take him into the elevator. Stephanie followed behind them.

"I'm so sorry Hunter! I have no idea what he was thinking!" Stephanie replied mortified at Chris' actions.

Vince, Linda and Shane watched as Hunter, Stephanie and Chris went out of the party. Alice raised an eyebrow at the situation as she let out a sigh of disappointment with Chris.

"Between Christopher and Patricia…" Alice murmured to herself as she placed a hand on her temple.

"She always knows how to embarrass us…" Linda commented with an unsurprised tone to Shane and Vince.

"Son you best fix this." Vince warned Shane with a frightening glare.

Shane could see the crowd was in shock - this wasn't the publicity he had intended from hosting the revelation and with Trish nowhere to be seen he knew he had to step in to smooth over the situation.

"I'm sorry about the commotion that just occured!" Shane chuckled nervously. "Some people can't handle their liquor it's a shame really but as an apology we will be handing out the gift bags earlier than expected, please enjoy the rest of the night, nibbles and champagne will now be in circulation and please help yourself, myself and Trish would like to thank you all for your patience and our announcement will be revealed shortly…"

"Where is Patricia?" Alice grabbed Shane as he finished his announcement. "I feel as if she's avoiding me…"

"I feel as if she's avoiding everyone." Linda commented. "Is she ashamed of our grandchild?"

"I'm ashamed that we have a connection with the Jericho family now…" Vince snarled. "I mean honestly I like you Alice but you have terrible taste in men."

Alice smirked confidently. "I feel myself, your wife and my daughter share that trait."

Linda chuckled at the smart comment made by Alice.

Shane sighed as he felt the tension between the families rising. This wasn't what he had intended when he made this revelation party in fact his plan to bring him and Trish closer had failed miserably, he knew she was off playing Blair Waldorf with her schemes and he didn't like it, he knew he had to step in. "I'll go and find Trish now."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish's penthouse was big but it wasn't that big, she had been trying to avoid a range of people at the revelation and had began to realise that maybe she didn't completely think her plan through. Trish and Amy hid amongst the crowd - it was too late to abort the mission now.

"I think we should we just go back to the drawing board…" Amy mumbled as she nervously gazed across the room, the crowded penthouse continued to give her high anxiety levels. "...there's so many people here, your family, The McMahons, Chris just got escorted out… do you really need anymore drama in front of the whole social ladder."

Trish knew her red haired friend had a point - a huge point. She knew Shane would be getting super annoyed, her mother would be planning her social funeral and The McMahons were already writing up full custody papers for her unborn child; yet they had come so far.

"No!" The blonde bombshell shook her head ferociously. "I would normally be running after Chris, I'd be trying to smooth other my in laws and mother and I'd be playing the perfect girlfriend for Shane but my main priority is you and Melina!"

"What are you talking about?" Melina spoke in confusion appearing out of the blue with Dave Batista's arm firmly wrapped around her waist. "What the fuck is going on with you recently, I don't know what you have planned Trish but I don't need you constantly interfering in my life!"

Trish and Amy couldn't hide their surprise on their face as both their mouths hung open in shock, they had been caught and this had put a spanner in the works for their plan.

"It's okay Melina… I know what's going on here…" Dave smirked cunningly as he licked his lips as he received a glare from Trish while Amy timidly avoided eye contact. "I should've told you earlier but Amy here is my ex…"

Melina raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked between Amy, Trish and Dave. "You dated?"

"Yes they did!" Trish exclaimed. "And-"

"Wait you knew?" Melina gasped. "You're supposed to be my friend Trish!"

"I didn't know how to tell you that-" Trish spoke before getting interrupted.

"She didn't know how to tell you that Amy here was obsessed with me…" Dave chuckled. "She was controlling, manipulative, paranoid, jealous…"

"You lying son of a bitch!" Trish hissed. "Tell her the truth Ames…"

Dave stared at Amy intimidately as she continued to avoid eye contact, the stress of the situation causing nausea throughout her body and Amy couldn't manage to muster up any words to defend herself, she just stood, awkwardly, in silence.

"See she can't say anything because she knows it's true." Dave chuckled. "She even got put in a mental health institute… in fact… I'm pretty sure you're on the missing list from The Sisters of Benevolence."

"You're lying!" Trish snarled.

"No he's not… not about the Sisters… I was locked away… he pushed me to go in there!" Amy exclaimed as she finally found the ability to use her voice. Her voice was shaky and hoarse. Her nerves were noticeable. "I didn't want to tell you Trish… I can't ever go back there… the things they did… I can't go back!"

"You're not going back don't worry!" Trish reassured Amy as she placed a supportive arm around her shoulder.

"So now we know Amy isn't all there in the head I'd appreciate it if you left me and my girlfriend alone." Dave smirked with a dismissive curve on his lips. "She made it all up, she's missing from the looney bin and I'd appreciate it Miss Stratus if you got off my back."

"There you go Trish are you happy now?" Melina hissed. "Dave hasn't done anything!"

"Yes he has!" Trish exclaimed. "He is abusive, controlling and manipulative. He messed with her head and that's the reason she isn't the same Amy we once knew, he beat her to an inch of her live and tried to do it again… he's a monster!"

"You have no proof…" Dave smirked. "Just the word of an unstable whore with a bad reputation and history of mental illness…"

As Trish and Amy attempted to convince Melina about the true nature of her new found love they found that love really was blind - especially in Melina's case. She wasn't believing a word from them and defended her man fiercely.

"Melina he is dangerous… I've seen the difference in you… He hurt Amy and god knows how many other girls… I don't want you getting hurt… he will hurt you if you stay with him!" Trish pleaded with her assistant. "He's your first love but he's not your true love!"

"How the fuck would you know Trish!" Melina snapped. "I've had enough… you have no proof… you've not been supportive of my relationship with Dave at all… he's right… you're obsessed… I'm sorry Amy has trouble with her mental health but you can't blame it on Dave…"

"He will hurt you." Amy replied bluntly. "Just like he hurt me."

"You hurt yourself." Melina hit back. "I've had enough of this… what was the point of this… to try and expose him… embarrass me… grow up Trish… you know what hurts the most that you couldn't even come up and talk to me about your concerns instead you try and sabotage us!"

"I saved her from him… myself… I hit him over the head with a brick… after he tried attacking her in central park… do you think that's a coincidence? He just happens to hurt himself the same day I save Amy from being assaulted?" Trish proclaimed in frustration. "Are you really that blinded by your love for him you're going to ignore the obvious signs that this man is evil!"

Melina looked at Amy and Trish, their eyes pleading for Melina to see the truth. Melina looked at Dave and began to ponder on the idea that maybe this man wasn't who he said he was - it would make sense. Melina couldn't deny that the dots did fit together. Yet she loved him, he loved her. So she told herself.

"I love him Trish…" Melina replied as she held his hand tightly. "Oh and I quit… Find yourself a new employee… and a new friend."

Trish gasped at the brunette's response as she stormed out the revelation party whilst Dave made no attempt to hide his sly smile.

"It didn't work…" Amy sighed in defeat.

"We will get him back Amy…" Trish vowed. "I promise."

Dave won the battle, Trish planned to win the war.

"Where the hell have you been all night Trish!" Shane exclaimed as he gripped Trish's wrist pulling her to once side, slightly more aggressive than he should've. "You're out here acting like a high school kid, do you ride around in the mystery machine as well?"

"What are you talking about." Trish scoffed in denial. "You're hurting me."

"You're hurting me Trish… stop playing games with me… I've warned you before… you're carrying my child… my legacy!" Shane hissed. "You've made this night a shambles, I suggest you fix it!"

"Leave her alone!" Amy frowned as she poked Shane in his chest. "You're nothing but a bully."

"What are you going to do?" Shane scoffed as he stepped up to Amy, his grip still tightened on Trish's wrist.

As an attempt to smooth the situation, Trish shook her head subtly at Amy. She didn't want any more drama, not tonight. It had been a disaster from start to finish and she knew she had angered Dave, she didn't want to anger Shane either.

"You're right Shane… I'm sorry…" Trish sighed as she avoided eye contact with the man.

"I want this crazy bitch out of your home." Shane hissed. "She's a bad influence that I don't want around my pregnant girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend…" Trish reminded her ex. "She's my friend and can stay as long as she wants."

"You are having my child!" Shane growled as he gripped Trish's wrist harder. "You're mine… whether you like it or not… I'm done walking on eggshells around you!"

Amy could see how her presence angered the billionaire. "It's fine Trish… you have already done so much for me… I don't want to cause you anymore problems!"

"There's a good girl." Shane smirked. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Trish looked at Amy with sorrow in her eyes as Amy gave her a reassuring smile and slight nod.

"Now let's go… you have a mess to clean up!" Shane warned Trish as he dragged her towards the crowd once again.

"I hate you…" Trish mumbled.

Shane let out an evil chuckle as he pushed her into her bedroom away from the guests. He aggressively gripped her throat as she began to struggle to breathe.

"Let's get one thing straight-" Shane exclaimed.

"I can't breathe Shane…" Trish gasped.

"SHUT UP!" Shane exclaimed. "You are having my child, you are my property, you don't have a say anymore, you carry on disrespecting me and I promise you Trish I will kill you!"

"I'm s-s-sorry." Trish choked. "I'm sorry."

"Glad we're on the same page." Shane smiled as he let loose of her throat. "Now let's go and announce to the world, you're having my baby and tell them how we have never been happier…"

Trish nodded wearily as Shane held out his hand and the blonde reluctantly placed her hand in his.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Hunter, Chris and Stephanie stood outside of Trish's building as Hunter did his best to restrain a stumbling Jericho.

"I'm so sorry about that." Stephanie half-smiled at Hunter while Chris was throwing up in a plant.

"I know what relationships are like." Hunter chuckled.

"We're not in a relationship." Stephanie shook her head.

"You might as well be." Hunter raised his eyebrow.

"You were saying about my brother." Stephanie changed the subject quickly. "What have you found out?"

"He is losing his mind." Hunter exclaimed. "More than usual, he smashed his suite up and one of the maids saw him spying on a red head on his laptop, it was like big brother apparently, cameras in every room."

"A red head?" Stephanie asked, squinting her face in confusion. "Who?"

"I have no idea… I was hoping you would know." Hunter shrugged.

As if on cue, Amy left the building with her backpack on her back as she walked with a purpose. Stephanie looked at Amy, confused as she didn't even see her at the revelation party.

"Brooklyn?" Stephanie gasped.

"I've not got time for name calling right now…" Amy rolled her eyes as she continued to walk and attempted to flag down a taxi.

"No seriously what are you doing here?" Stephanie asked.

"I've been staying with Trish…" Amy told Stephanie. "Your brother just kicked me out, he's seriously crazy."

Stephanie and Hunter looked at each other as the pieces of the puzzle fit together. He wasn't spying on a redhead - he was spying on Trish.

"Where are you going now?" Stephanie asked. "I'm worried about Trish!"

"I'm going to the one person who can get her out of this mess!" Amy announced as the taxi pulled up.

"Who?" Stephanie asked but got no answer from the red head who had closed the door in the taxi and drove off. Stephanie looked at Hunter as Chris collapsed on the floor. "We need to get him home…"

Hunter nodded as they both assisted Chris up. "What about Trish?"

"At the moment she's surrounded by reporters and socialites - she'll be fine... I'll come back tonight and warn her." Stephanie announced as they both helped Chris in the limo.

"I'll go to the Crown Jewel and get evidence against Shane!" Hunter exclaimed. "We need to get him away from your friend."

"Thanks for everything Hunter." Stephanie smiled. "As usual…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie struggled to get a half-conscious Jericho into his suite but after twenty minutes she found herself throwing him on the bed as she helped undress him, she started with removing his shoes and tie followed by his blazer and shirt and pants leaving him passed out in his underwear. She smiled sadly at the man in front of her - she had pushed him to this state he was currently in.

The brunette gently brushed her hand through his messy hair as he rested his head on the pillow. He looked peaceful. She knew when he woke up in the morning he would feel like shit but at this moment in time he looked so comfortable and at ease. The brunette smiled gently as she placed her glossy lips on his forehead to give him a soft kiss.

Stephanie picked herself up off his bed and made her way towards the door.

"Steph?" Chris's hoarse voice spoke as he lay with one eye open.

The brunette turned around to face her lover as she smiled softly at him. "Yeah?"

"I fucking hate you." Chris snarled. "I wish you never came to Cancun…"

And with those words, Chris turned his back to Steph and began sleeping peacefully once again whilst Steph stood with a lump in her throat as she held back her tears. She closed the door.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Another day had passed in rehab, Jeff found the days were quickly passing the more he got into it and every day he was making progress. He lay on his bed, his mind unable to shut off. He began to wonder what life would be like when he got out of this centre, he had been on drugs for so long he didn't know who he was without them.

A tap on the window broke his train of thought - was he tripping?

He decided to ignore the tap before he heard a louder bang.

The blue haired man jumped out of his bed as she opened his curtains to find Amy stood outside his room.

He opened his window as he looked in confusion, the red head climbed her way into the room.

"What the fuck?" Jeff gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry I've not been to see you…" Amy said as she tried to catch her breathe.

"How did you even know what room I was in." Jeff chuckled.

"That's not important…" Amy said as she placed herself comfortably on her bed. "Jeff you need to get out of here…"

"I've got two weeks left." Jeff shrugged. "Thanks for asking how it's going by the way, you don't visit once and you sneak into my room and tell me I need to go. You could've at least asked me how I'm feeling."

"No Jeff you don't understand." Amy exclaimed. "Trish is in trouble."

"Trish isn't my problem anymore." Jeff said calmly. "Now if that's all you can go."

"Oh for god sake…" Amy sighed. "She loves you and you love her, whether you are together or not… She's in trouble Jeff and I'm worried about her safety."

"What do you mean?" Jeff kinked his eyebrow.

"Shane… he's crazy." Amy frowned. "You need to get out of here."

"And do what Ames?" Jeff sighed. "She's moved on and I need to accept that, I need to let her go and I have two more weeks in her I can't just leave half way through like I always do I've gotta stick this out."

"And what about Trish?" Amy raised her eyebrow. "The woman you supposedly love more than life itself, the woman you wrote two solo albums about and went on a two year bender just because she broke up with you, she needs you!"

"I'm not superman Amy, I can't save her!" Jeff snapped. "I can't even save myself…"

"Shane is bad news…" Amy sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

And with the last conversation between the two, Amy looked at Jeff with disappointment before climbing back out of his window.


	16. Bittersweet Reunion

**DISCLAIMER - I DONT OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.  
LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER - THIS IS WAR BY 30 SECONDS TO MARS**

 **A/N -THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER AND IT'S QUITE A LONG ONE TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES RECENTLY. IF YOU COULD READ AND REVIEW, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. MUCH APPRECIATED AS ALWAYS.**

 **2 weeks after Trish's revelation party -**

' _A warning to the people, the good and the evil_

 _This is war_

 _To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim_

 _This is war'_

It was the day Jeff had first dreamed about since arriving at the rehabilitation centre. He had finished the treatment and a month had gone by quickly - he had grew a lot in the last few weeks. He walked into the centre with a chip on his shoulder and unaware how much the programme and the people had helped him. Nerves were flying around, his palms were sweaty and he began to feel slightly nauseous at the thought of going back out to the real world.

Jeff began to pack up his belongings from what had been his room for the previous weeks, in all honesty he had even began to enjoy being in rehab. It had become his safe place - his comfort zone.

Even with Amy's surprise visit, he still managed to stay focused and not allow his emotions to go into turmoil when she had mentioned about Trish and Shane - he didn't believe Trish was in any danger, he believed Amy was always a fan of him and Trish and she was just attempting to push them back together. Jeff had come to the conclusion that he can't force things to go back to how they used to be, so much had changed. They weren't the two love struck teenagers they used to be, they were adults now and he needed to accept that.

"Good morning Jeff." Ric's voiced interrupted Jeff's train of thought. "Are you all ready for you great escape?"

"I'm actually pretty nervous…" Jeff chuckled nervously as he rubbed his messy hair which he hadn't been able to tie up in to a bun as of yet. "I know it's only been four weeks but the last two years have been a bit of a blur and I don't know what to expect when I face reality again…"

"Well that is to be expected, it's all well and good staying clean in here… the real test will be going into the outside world, facing your past, facing your demons, facing reality and still being able to say no when things gets hard." Ric spoke reassuringly. "I've not known you long Jeff but you seem like a good kid, slightly misunderstood but you have have a clean heart…"

"I'm not sure that I would describe myself as good… I've been a bit of a dick, go on youtube and you'll find at least 100 videos as evidence." Jeff half-joked.

"You're young and have made mistakes… the point is to not dwell on them… just try and be a better person than you were yesterday… you're not that person anymore and as I've got to know you over the last few weeks I've come to the conclusion you were never actually that person you just lost yourself for a while…" The white haired man continued to spill his knowledge to the younger male in front of him. "Have some faith in yourself…"

Jeff half-smiled and nodded subtly as he finished packing his bag and pulled the zip to symbolise that he was ready to leave. "Thanks for everything Ric…"

"You don't have to thank me…" Ric brushed off the sentiment. "It's my job, I'd say I'd see you soon but hopefully I won't see you ever again!"

Jeff smiled at the older mentor as he nodded. Ric left the room and the blue haired male took a deep breathe, scanning his room for one last time. A knock on his door interrupted his train of thought once again, the young male spinned around to see his new found friends stood outside.

Debra stood in front of him, her sparkling white teeth on display as she proudly held a chocolate cake in front of him the white icing read 'good luck Jeff.'

Mick Foley stood next to her, his toothless grin on display while he held a balloon in his hand.

Paul Hayman and Steve Austin stood behind them bickering as usual.

Jeff couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight of his new found friends, the misfits that he had grew fondly off over the course of the month. Each one of the recovering addicts had helped Jeff in one way, shape or form. He loved how motherly Debra was, he loved how friendly Mick was, he loved how sarcastic Paul was and Steve was comedy value if nothing else. It would be strange to think he probably wouldn't see any of them ever again.

"You measly mouth bastard…" Steve exclaimed. "You really just gonna fuck off and leave us in this hell hole. Just shows you… DTA."

"What does DTA mean again?" Paul smirked knowing full well what it meant but he just loved to encourage Steve's rants.

"Don't trust anyone you fucking retard." Steve announced. "This rainbow coloured son of a bitch is going to get out and have beers with the guys and I'm stuck in here for a minimum of another month because that grave dodging bastard Ric Flair wanted to extend my stay!"

"I won't be going for beers with the guys if it makes you feel better." Jeff chuckled.

"You ignore him honey…" Debra chuckled. "He's got me to keep him company it's not all that bad."

"Why aren't you guys being released as well?" Jeff raised an eyebrow. "I mean apart from Steve you are all free to go whenever you want right?"

"It's my last shot… the next time I leave I want to be sure that I'm ready… I've been battling addiction for a long time and I can't afford to lose my family not this time…" Mick admitted.

"I'll be back to causing mayhem in the stock exchange in no time." Paul chuckled. "I will be back on the streets next month… I just feel like I'm not ready yet… besides who is going piss the bald redneck off… that's enough to make anybody want to stay right?"

"At least I'm not half bald with a proxy ponytail that looks like a beavers ass!" Steve bit back.

"See that's enough to make anybody stay!" Paul gleamed.

"If I go… who's to stop these two from killing each other." Debra chuckled as she caught Steve's eye contact. "I'm sure by next month I'll be happy to go home."

Jeff noticed the googly eyes between Steve and Debra - they obviously had fallen for each other in their time in the centre and it was clear they had planned to leave together. It was cute. They came in with their lives falling apart and ended up leaving with their lives coming together.

"So what's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?" Mick asked.

"I'd get a BBQ double cheeseburger with bacon, crinkle fries with cheese and a XXL vanilla milkshake…" Paul dribbled at the thought of fast food. "I've had this rabbit food upto here, I'm a real man and real man deserve deep fried food and cream based drinks to wash it all down with."

"No…" Jeff chuckled. "I won't be doing that… well I might but there's definitely something I have to do first."

"You need to get laid!" Steve exclaimed. "I know that's what I'll be doing when I get out of this shit hole."

Debra blushed at the comment as the two began to smirk seductively at each other.

"No… that's not it either." Jeff chuckled. "I will no longer be a slave to my sexual desires."

"You sound like Ric…" Paul scoffed. "He's brainwashed you… you do know that right!"

"No I've just realised life is more than sex, drugs and rock and roll…" Jeff shrugged.

"So what are you going to do when you get home then hot shot?" Debra asked.

Mick looked at Jeff and smiled. "He's going to tell the people he loves how grateful he is to have them in his life…"

Jeff nodded his head in agreement to Mick.

"That's gay." Steve rolled his eyes.

"That's politically incorrect…" Mick frowned.

"Sorry I didn't you were the chief of the morality police." Paul sniggered.

As the group immersed into bickering Jeff continued to look at the group with a smile on his face as they slowly realised he was just staring at them.

"Thanks for everything guys…" Jeff smiled.

"Don't be doing that mushy shit…" Steve rolled his eyes.

"Don't listen to him honey… we're all very glad we met you." Debra smiled as she gave Jeff a hug. "You look after yourself… and I hope things work out for you."

As the two broke up from their embrace, Jeff walked over to Paul as he offered his hand out for a shake but his hand got slapped away by Paul as to the enigma's surprise Paul embraced him into a brief hug.

"You're a good kid…" Paul spoke to Jeff.

"He didn't speak for 65% of the time here you fucking idiots." Steve exclaimed as he rolled his eyes once more.

Jeff just chuckled at Steve's comment as he went towards Mick and the two also embraced in a brief hug.

"Thanks for everything Mick…" Jeff said.

"Good luck…" Mick smiled. "I hope you can make things work with your girl… I can see you really love her…"

"I don't think it's going to be that simple." Jeff shrugged.

"Nothing ever is… but a good woman is irreplaceable and you've got to fight for her like she fought for you a million times without you even knowing." Mick smiled.

Jeff nodded at Mick as he turned to Steve.

"Don't expect no hug from me sonny jim." Steve shook his head frantically.

Jeff held up his fist to bump with Steve who randomly bear hugged him. Everybody was as surprised as Jeff who couldn't help but laugh.

"I couldn't end it like that… I tried… you keep your head up kid… you're a mysterious little fucker that I can't quite put my fingers on but my gosh you got the heart of a lion." Steve announced.

"Are you getting emotional Steve?" Mick teased.

"You shut your hairy piehole!" Steve pointed his finger threateningly at Mick.

And for one last time the group laughed together as Jeff waved slightly before leaving the building through the reception. He waved bye to the staff on reception as she opened the door and stood on the concrete pavement outside. He was free.

Jeff stood still as he inhaled deeply to calm his nerves. Closing his eyes to really take in the moment.

"Hey baby brother!" A familiar voice interrupted his peaceful moment.

Jeff opened his eyes to find his raven haired brother stood with Jillian and his uncle JBL. An instant grin entered his face as he embraced them all in a group hug. All of them took a little by surprise.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit while you were in here…" Matt apologised. "I've been in LA and been trying to sort so many things out."

"It's fine… you're here now that's all that matters." Jeff reassured his goofy smile still fixed onto his face. "You're all here!"

"We wasn't going to let you down!" JBL chuckled.

"You never do!" Jeff smiled. "I know I've put you through a lot-"

"Jeff honey everybody is past that!" Jillian reassured.

"I know but I need to just get something off of my chest." Jeff sighed. "I've had a lot of time to think over the last four weeks and I'm grateful for you all being here for me and I'll never take it for granted again…"

"Will you just shut the fuck up…" Matt rolled his eyes jokingly. "Let's go home."

The family members all chuckled as they stepped into JBL's limousine, the vehicle began to move and nerves began to set in for Jeff as they drove closer and closer to the Big Apple. The radio was on in the front when the radio presenters began to discuss a touchy subject.

' _Trish Stratus and Shane McMahon's relationship looks to be stronger than ever as they are seen attending the Forbes Magazine Young Billionaires Charity Gala.' One radio presenter spoke to the other._

' _Yeah she looked glowing and left everything to the imagination in a long sleeved fishtail ball gown which sported her growing baby bump, the two looked fabulous and happier than ever."_

Jeff couldn't help but feel like a knife cut through his heart when he heard the radio presenters talking about Shane and Trish's perfect relationship which would soon turn into a perfect little family. Something he knew should've been his.

Matt, Jillian and JBL looked at one another.

"I'm sorry son…" JBL sighed. "I know it must be hard for you…"

"We just don't want you to dwell on it… we know how Trish triggers you." Matt spoke with a worried tone. "We don't want you relapsing and you might have to face the fact you and Trish might never get back together…"

"It's fine…" Jeff shook his head at his concerned family. "I've accepted it… It hurts but it's good to hurt… I just can't believe Amy snuck into my room telling me Trish is in danger and yet they look happier than ever."

"What do you mean?" JBL raised an eyebrow.

"Have you seen Amy?" Matt's voice turned cold. "When?"

"Like two weeks ago… she snuck into my room… for literally two seconds…" Jeff shrugged.

"Is she okay?" Jillian asked.

"I dunno… she seemed fine… she was more worried about Trish… obviously there's nothing to worry about if they're New York's power couple like they're being reported." Jeff spoke with a slightly bitter tone.

"You should know more than anyone son…" JBL spoke. "Appearances are everything on the Upper East Side…"

"Well she's not my problem anymore…" Jeff sighed.

"The same way Amy isn't my problem anymore?" Matt asked rhetorically. "Look brother… I wish I handle the whole Amy situation different… now she's god knows where running from god knows who… and I still feel like I've got no closure… yeah Trish and Shane might be happy… they might not be… either way you need to visit Trish and get closure… one way or another… you both need your peace of mind… even if you have to let each other go..."

Jeff looked at Matt with understanding eyes and as much as it pained him to think about letting go of the only woman he has ever loved and he believed he ever would love, it was true. They had to see each other - even if it was the last time.

' _It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie_

 _And the moment to live and the moment to die_

 _The moment to fight, the moment to fight_

 _To fight, to fight, to fight'_

The last two weeks for Trish were living hell - she had no contact with Melina who had officially left StratusFashion, Amy had gone missing once again since Shane had scared her away, Stephanie wasn't allowed anywhere near her (Stephanie had tried to see Trish on several occasions but Shane had put a stop to their visits somehow) and she was no Shane's puppet. She was lying to the whole world and herself acting as if she was in the perfect relationship expecting the perfect baby and they would drive off into the sunset as they raised the perfect family but it was a lie. She hated Shane. He was manipulative, controlling, abusive both mentally and physically. She was trapped to this psychopath forever. Her in-laws were spawns of the devil, her mother didn't care enough to notice the cracks in her relationship, her step brother and normally the one person she could depend on was currently on a spiral downwards as seen by tabloids all over the world, partying with different women every night of the week. Shane had won. He had managed to isolate her from everyone she cared about and had managed to get her exactly where he wanted. She was his property.

Trish had been placing interviews all week in an attempt to replace Melina who had become a vital component in StratusFashion - truth be told without the brunette around, Trish's job had become a whole other level of difficult. After being used to having less responsibilities it was true that Melina leaving the company was incredibly problematic and after the state of some of her interviewees it was becoming increasingly troublesome to find somebody with half a brain.

After a yet another day of failed interviews, the blonde bombshell let out a defeated sigh as she placed her hands over her head. It was hard losing Melina as an employee but even harder losing her as a friend, she worried about her safety - she knew every second spent with that monster was another second he could cause her mental or physical harm.

It was coming to the last interview of the week and none of the candidates had any potential. Trish was slowly losing the will to live as she let out a deep breathe and prayed the next candidate would have some brain cells to work with.

As the blonde stepped out of her office she found a well-presented chocolate brunette sat in the reception which was usually managed by Melina. The female was around Trish's age, she wore a very trendy yet smart black jumpsuit which covered her fully yet still managed to show off her curves which she had paired with a pair of StratusFashion heels. She sat unaware of Trish's presence as she flicked through what look like a portfolio.

"Mickie James?" Trish asked the woman sat with her legs crossed.

Mickie's head turned as she grinned energetically at the woman, bouncing to her feet as she placed her hand out to shake Trish's. "Yes that's me… nice to meet you Ms Stratus… I'm a huge fan very happy to be here… I hope I don't mess up… I'm so excited to have the chance to work with the one and only sweetheart of America!"

'Great' Trish thought to herself. 'Another fan girl…'

"Nice to meet you Mickie… please call me Trish… would you like to step into my office and we will get this interview started." Trish smiled politely, as she kept her professionalism at all times.

Mickie nodded eagerly as the two stepped into Trish's swanky office, Mickie was mesmerized by the view of New York. Trish sat up on her chair, her back straight as watched Mickie stumble into the chair opposite her. It was clear that Mickie was nervous but she looked keen.

"So tell me a little bit about yourself?" Trish begun the interview.

"Well my name is Mickie Laree James, I'm 22, I was born in Richmond, Virginia, lived their pretty much my whole life until I moved to college, I studied at NYU… I recently graduated and have always had a passion for fashion and have been looking for the perfect job when I seen you advertising for this role and I just thought what the heck give it a try! I absolutely love your clothes and you're a massive role model in my life! It would be like a dream come true!" Mickie announced ecstatically without pausing for breathe. "I have had jobs in the meantime just to keep a roof over my head but I want to follow my heart and this job just screamed out to me, I mean I don't come from a family with huge amounts of money in fact my mom and dad worked their entire lives just to put me through college but they were so supportive when I told them I wanted to move to New York…"

Trish's eyes widened as she attempted to take in all of the quick words that were flying out the brunette's mouth - she was energetic to say the least and admired the blonde from what she was told. Although the brunette was quirky, she had more character than most people who had walked through the door and seemed to have a real zest for life. Her style was on point along with her hair and makeup which seemed to back up her point for her passion for fashion.

"I understand Mickie… but do you understand that this will be a personal assistant role?" Trish asked as she continued to make notes.

"Oh yes I'm a bit dopey but I'm far from stupid, I understand my role will be simple, taking phone calls, getting coffees but everybody has got to start somewhere and I'm eager to learn from you and grow within the company, I understand this is a personal assistant role yet I don't plan on staying as that forever… but silly me for getting so ahead of myself I need to actually get the job first but I will not let you down… I actually have a really great memory, I remember things from when I was 4 years old like it was yesterday and I'm really bubbly so I don't mind schmoozing people or taking complaints or phone calls setting up meetings… I'm also very organised… here's my portfolio… it's organised in categories… productivity, creativity, education, work experience and personal profile!" Mickie beamed once again as she promptly slid her portfolio over to her new potential boss.

Trish began to flip through the pages of the portfolio as Mickie continued to talk about her life and her family and her passion and pretty much anything that came to her head and despite her not being able to sit in silence for two seconds - Trish had to admit she was impressed.

"-and then my mother told me that girl was just jealous, I mean I never understood why somebody would be jealous of me but then I realised it actually had nothing to do with me it was just a reflection of herself that was when I forgave her for bullying me all those years-" Mickie continued speaking as Trish snapped back into the conversation half way through Mickie's story.

"Mickie…" Trish interrupted. "I'm impressed."

"Oh my god!" Mickie squealed. "That means so much coming from you honestly I've looked upto you my whole life I mean you're Trish freaking Stratus, a style icon, a business tycoon, a socialite, you're freaking amazing!"

"Honestly I'm just a normal person…" Trish chuckled as she began to grow tired of her admiration, in all honesty as sweet as Mickie seemed she was slightly annoying and yet she was the best person who had walked through her doors for an interview. "I don't normally do this but why the hell not… Mickie you have the job… you can start on Monday…"

"Oh my god!?" Mickie gasped. "Well if that isn't music to my ears… thank you so much for this opportunity I'm so grateful honestly I know to you it's just a personal assistant job but I won't let you down I'm ready to shine thank you so much honestly oh my god how crazy I'm going to have Trish Stratus as my boss… that is so cray cray!"

Mickie jumped up off of her chair and ran over to Trish who was in shock as the brunette embraced her in a tight and slightly uncomforting hug.

"I should've warned you first I'm a hugger!" Mickie squeeked. "Thank you once again!"

Mickie finally let go of the speechless blonde who just let out a bemused chuckle.

"No worries… I'll send you a confirmation email to yourself enjoy your weekend!" Trish smiled softly. "Oh and Mickie… I'm not a hugger so no hugging… please."

"I'm so sorry I always cross boundaries my mom used to always tell me that I never knew how to read people's signals and here I was thinking she was talking baloney turns out she was right all along!" Mickie continued to ramble.

"It's fine really!" Trish chuckled. "Enjoy your weekend Mickie…"

Mickie grinned at the blonde and waved dramatically before she finally left the office. Trish let out a deep breathe - she was a bit hyperactive but she seemed nice and was the best of the bad candidates… what could go wrong?

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world from the last to the first'_

After what felt forever, Jeff, JBL, Jillian and Matt finally arrived at the townhouse. It felt alien to Jeff to be back in New York… sober. The view of the skyline when their limousine crossed the bridge had caused him butterflies that seemed to stick with him for the remainder of the trip. The stood on the concrete pavement as Jeff received a pat on the back by his uncle.

"Welcome home son!" JBL cheered as they began to walk up the stairs.

JBL turned the door knob and nothing had changed much in the townhouse, apart from a few momentos and photos added by Jillian to make the house her home as well. Jeff couldn't help but feel strange - it had been a long time since he had been in the house. Memories from his teenage years came flooded back.

When Jeff first arrived in New York - he was an angry teenage boy who had just lost his parents (which he always blamed his own behaviour) and he hated it. He hated New York, the big city, the noises he would hear from the street outside, the beeping of horns and engines - complete contrast to the countryside he was used to living in. He eventually came to find the background noise soothing after he got used to the place and despite Cameron having a special place in his heart… New York was a place he would eventually call home.

"Who wants some hot cocoa?" Jillian offered as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Me!" Matt and JBL replied in unison.

"Jeff?" Jillian smiled.

"I'm cool thanks Jillian…" Jeff replied softly as he made his way towards the sofa.

"You're missing out man!" Matt said as he planted himself next to Jeff.

"She does make the best hot cocoa." JBL smiled proudly as he watched his wife in the kitchen.

"Oh you boys oversell me!" Jillian said modestly.

"So Brother Nero… I know you have just got out and this must be overwhelming for you but I've been in contact with your record label…" Matt's tone quickly changed from light-hearted to serious.

JBL shook his head as he discouraged Matt to break the news to Jeff so early in his return to the outside world, frightened it might push him over the edge. "I don't think now is the right time to tell him…"

"Tell me what?" Jeff burrowed his brow in confusion.

"It's like a band aid sweety, you just have to rip it off…" Jillian shrugged as she placed two hot cocoas down on the coffee table. "He's going to have to find out sometime…"

"Find out what?" Jeff continued to question.

"Beside I've got a compromise…" Matt ignored his brother as he spoke with his uncle and aunt-in-law.

"Will somebody tell me what's going on?" Jeff frowned.

"You've been dropped by your label…" Matt sighed.

"What?" Jeff gasped. "Why now?"

"With the recent events and publicity regarding yourself… they felt it was for the best." JBL said softly as an attempt to smooth over the situation.

"But I have a proposition…" Matt beamed. "Why don't you release your new album with my record label?"

"Your record label is in LA…" Jeff frowned. "I don't want to move to LA…"

"Well actually… one studio is… I'm opening another form of TwistOfFate Records in New York… I've been sorting out the ins and outs and that's why I've not been able to visit you… Ashley agreed to run the LA Branch while I overlook the New York Branch…" Matt grinned.

"Ashley as in your ex girlfriend?" Jillian questioned.

"We're cool… everything is sorted… she's somebody I trust… plus she has great musical taste, she can focus on releasing her own albums and mentoring others in LA and I get to be closer to my family while helping my brother kickstart his career the proper way." Matt announced. "What do you say Brother Nero?"

Jeff sat there with his head in his hands. "I appreciate the offer Matt but I'm thinking maybe for the time being just get used to being out of rehab without jumping straight back into the music world…"

"I know but I'll be there and I won't let anything get out of hand this time-" Matt began to explain.

"I said not yet!" Jeff snapped. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to raise my voice it's just a lot to take in…"

"I know son… it's completely up to you… we all understand if you want to stay lowkey for a while." JBL reassured his nephew.

"I don't know what I want to do…" Jeff sighed. "I'm not saying no Matt… just give me a bit of time."

"Whatever you need man!" Matt patted his brother on the back.

"Now who's hungry? I say we all get chinese take out and watch some crappy comedies!" Jillian announced as she attempted to change the subject noticing how uncomfortable Jeff was beginning to become.

"Yeah that's a great idea babe…" JBL agreed as he planted a soft kiss on Jillian's forehead.

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world'_

As the day began to fade to night, Chris Jericho was already wasted. He sat in the bar of the codebreaker surrounded by scandalous dressed women (presumably hookers) as he helped himself to bottles of liquor and began to pour it into the mouths of his company as well as himself...

While Chris enjoyed his party, he was unaware of the group of people stood behind him.

A tap on his shoulder caused a drunken Chris to turn around.

His eyes grew wide as he seen the brunette that caused him so much pain look at him with such disappointment in her baby blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Chris hissed with bitterness. "Haven't you got some hearts to break?"

"Have you seen the state of yourself?" Stephanie sighed as she rolled her eyes.

Chris's vision was blurred as he looked past Stephanie's shoulder to see Hunter and Amy stood slightly further away from the couple.

"Oh look at you with your new boyfriend…" Chris chuckled spitefully. "Be careful bro… she has serious commitment issues… and daddy issues… in fact I think she's just got issues."

"Oh for god sake how old are you? 12?" Stephanie sighed.

"We're here about Trish." Amy came forward as she stood next to Stephanie.

"I swear you two hate each other?" Chris scoffed. "Isn't it sad when you have to go to your enemy because you have no friends left…"

"Look Chris… I know I've hurt you and I'm sorry… I'm not here to beg for your forgiveness or even to discuss anything that has or hasn't happened between us… I'm here because you loved Trish… just as much as I love Trish… and she's in trouble… Shane has isolated her from everybody… nobody has seen her or spoke to her… he's even had me banned from her work place some how..." Stephanie explained.

"And we know that he's been spying on her, he has CCTV in her apartment…" Hunter added.

"He's becoming more abusive…" Amy added.

"We need to help her get away from him…. We have a plan…" Stephanie explained.

"Fuck all of you… I'm not in high school anymore baby… we all make our own choices… she's a big girl and she can take care of herself…" Chris slurred.

"Have you heard yourself? Are you really saying this? About Trish? Your sister?" Stephanie gasped surprised by the resentment in his voice.

"She's not blood… she's my step sister." Chris replied coldly.

"I know you're hurt Chris and I know I've broke your heart… but don't break Trish's." Stephanie smiled sadly. "C'mon guys we should go."

Stephanie and Hunter walked away as Chris scoffed, Amy shook her head at the state of him.

"What?" Chris hissed.

Amy smiled sadly. "I hope you change your mind…"

Chris watched as the three of them walked out of the codebreaker. The girls he was partying with began to swarm around him again and for a moment he really thought about what he had just said, something he didn't mean and didn't know why he would even say then he looked at the bottle next to him, picked it up and gulped down the alcohol as it burned the back of his throat.

' _A warning to the prophet, the liar, the honest_

 _This is war_

 _To the leader, the pariah, the victor, the messiah_

 _This is war'_

Amy, Hunter and Stephanie sat in the blacked out limousine as they pulled up outside a familiar townhouse. The three were going to all lengths to protect Trish and they knew they needed all the help they could get.

"You know what you have to do right?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "He is the one person that will be able to speak some sense into her and get her away from that monster, with Jericho turning rogue he is our only hope…"

"Your obi-wan kenobi is behind that door…" Hunter added.

Stephanie frowned at the comment made by Hunter. "I never really took you as a star wars guy."

"It's just one of those films that everybody has watched right?" Hunter shrugged.

Stephanie raised her eyebrow as she shook her head slowly. "Nooo… definitely not me…"

"Yet here you are understanding the references..." Hunter smirked back at the brunette.

"Okay dorks that's irrelevant…" Amy replied as she rolled her eyes. "Just get to the crown jewel and distract Shane as long as possible…"

Stephanie and Hunter gave the redhead a slight nod as she stepped out of the limousine and they drove off through the hustling and busy streets of New York City.

Amy stood on the sidewalk as she looked upto the townhouse that brought back a million memories and knew once again she was bringing a whirlwind of drama to the door. She knew Jeff was released today and despite their last conversation they had, she knew he needed to speak to his ex.

As she stepped up the steps that led to the front door, butterflies ran through her stomach as she knocked loudly on the chestnut surface.

Jillian opened the door, eyes widened at the sight of the redhead that had disappeared from her life so abruptly. "Amy?"

"I'm sorry I know Jeff is here and I really need to speak to him!" Amy announced as she walked into their home blissfully unaware of her ex sat on the sofa.

As her eyes fell onto her former lover she felt a piercing pain through her heart.

"Amy what the hell are you doing here?" Matt asked.

Matt took the redhead by surprise as he walked over to her and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Don't answer, I'm just glad you are okay, have you been eating? Where have you been staying? Are you still in trouble?" Matt began rolling the questions of the tip of his tongue.

Amy was still in shock, surprised of the reaction she had received of Matt considering the terms they last left on. She smiled at the warm embrace, the two hugging slightly longer than they should have. Amy was the first one to separate their bodies as she flashed him a comforted smile. "I'm fine honestly I know you all have a lot of questions but I really need to speak to Jeff it's important… I know he's here somewhere."

"Amy sweetheart… he's in bed… rehab has got him in a routine which he wants to continue with and I don't think it's a great idea to wake him up." JBL explained.

Amy shook her head as she galloped into the guest bedroom, ignoring the explanation made by JBL and staying focused on her task.

"Jeffrey Nero Hardy, wake the hell up!" Amy shouted as she pulled back the covers as she interrupted what looked to be a very peaceful rockstar, she almost felt guilty for waking him up.

"What the fuck are you doing Amy?" Jeff snapped, his eyes still heavy and the man took by surprise by the intrusion. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"No have you?" Amy snapped back as she hit him over the head. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Ermmm I think I was asleep and minding my own business then an erratic redhead interrupted a great dream." Jeff sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Seriously what are you doing here?"

"No what are you doing here Jeff…" Amy frowned.

"I'm sorry I'm confused…" Jeff screwed his face up as he stretched out his body.

"Your released from rehab and you still haven't gone to see Trish!" Amy scowled.

"I told you it's time for me to let her go…" Jeff sighed. "I can't believe you just woke me up to tell me to visit my ex girlfriend who seems happy and in love with her new boyfriend, pretty sure they're expecting a baby… so why in the hell would I go and see Trish!"

"Because she's not happy or in love, in fact she's in danger!" Amy exclaimed. "Things have escalated Jeff and she needs somebody to talk some sense into her!"

"I'm not that person!" Jeff snapped back.

"Correction you wasn't that person!" Amy raised an eyebrow. "Please just go and see her Jeff and talk to her!"

"And say what?" Jeff frowned.

"You'll know what to say when you see her!" Amy frowned.

"I can't…" Jeff sighed in defeat. "I'm no good for her…"

"Shane's no better son…" JBL stuck his head in the room as he commented on the situation. "I've called the car round, it's going to take you to Trish… if she doesn't want to speak to you then that's her choice but you have to at least try… I don't think Amy would be telling you these things for no reason."

Matt and Jillian stood behind JBL as they watched Jeff wrestle with his emotions.

"Brother Nero…" Matt piped up. "This isn't about you and Trish… this is about Trish and her safety… Amy has never been the dramatic type…"

"Jeff please… for some reason you two have always had this crazy bond and I know a lot of stuff has happened between her but I've seen it with my own eyes… she needs somebody to talk too… somebody to give her some type of hope… a few months ago you wouldn't of been that somebody… you are now…" Amy smiled softly. "Please just go and visit her…"

"Fine…" Jeff nodded. "And when she tells me to leave her alone I don't want to hear anymore about this situation got it?"

"She's already alone Jeff…" Amy smiled sadly.

' _It's the moment of truth and the moment to live_

 _And the moment to live and the moment to die_

 _The moment to fight, the moment to fight_

 _To fight, to fight, to fight'_

"Will you put your fucking foot down!" Stephanie screamed harshly at the limousine driver.

"Ms McMahon it's gridlock… nobody's moving anywhere anytime soon!" The driver announced back politely.

Stephanie released a sigh of frustration before she punched the seat aggressively."We're wasting time! If we don't get to the crown jewel soon the whole plan is going to flop!"

"Well we're a few blocks away…" Hunter shrugged as he opened the limousine door and got out. "We're going to have to go the old fashion way,"

"These boots aren't made for walking Hunter!" Stephanie shouted as she watched Hunter begin power walking down the street and looked at her boots. "You're so lucky I love you Trish Stratus I'm really about to ruin my gucci ankle boots for you girl!"

And with a deep breathe, Stephanie jumped out of the limousine quickly catching up to Hunter as they attempted to complete their role in their master plan.

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world from the last to the first'_

Trish looked at her scan picture as she slouched into her sofa, the tears evident as they ran down her face. She didn't understand how what was supposed to be the best news had quickly turned into a living nightmare. She was a prisoner in her own home, she wasn't allowed to speak to her friends, she wasn't allowed to go anywhere without Shane and she genuinely feared for the consequences if she was to ever disobey Shane - he had made it quite clear what he would do to her if she broke his rules.

The blonde heard the elevator ping as she dreaded to see who it would be, the only person that had visited her for the last two weeks. Shane McMahon. She hated him but she was trapped with his semen growing inside of her stomach, how her Prince Charming had turned into Freddy Krueger she couldn't figure out. She dreaded the thought of how she would cope for the remainder of her pregnancy, the remainder of her life; if she was to even make it that long.

As the blonde shifted her head expecting to see the presence of Shane, she was both pleasantly and dreadfully surprised to see the blue haired enigma himself walking towards her.

"Jeff?" Trish gasped as she wiped the tears from her face quickly. "What are you doing here? When did you get out of rehab?"

"I'm sorry Trish…" Jeff admitted. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through, for treating you like property, for being so toxic… it wasn't me… I mean it was me but I haven't been thinking straight for quite a few years… and I can't imagine what I put you through but just know that I'm ready to let you go for good… I just need to know you're happy and most importantly that you're safe."

Trish's heart broke at the sight of Jeff - she could see the difference in him. His voice, his eyes, his body language reminded her of a certain teenage boy that she gave her heart to many years ago. "I'm sorry about the abortion and not telling you I was pregnant… I was scared and I didn't know if you would ever get your shit together and now I'm pregnant with Shane's baby and everything's a mess and I'm so lost and trapped and I don't even know who I am anymore!"

"You don't have to say sorry for anything… you've only ever done what you thought was best." Jeff reassured the blonde as he gently braced her cheek with his thumb, evidence of tears from her damp skin. "Tell me what's going on Trish… talk to me… it's been a very long time since you and I had a conversation…"

Trish let out a smile before realising what her life had become and she couldn't hold back the tears, they flooded out like a storm breaking down a dam. She crumbled into his arms as she began to turn frantic. "He'll kill me Jeff… he's crazy… I'm scared… you need to go!"

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving you alone!" Jeff frowned. "He's not going to hurt you I won't let him!"

"He will kill us both… I've seen that look in his eyes… there's no soul in him Jeff… I don't know what to do… there's nothing I can do… I have to just accept this is my life!" Trish sobbed.

"Run away…" Jeff suggested.

"I can't run away… I'm Trish Stratus…. I have a business… a baby on the way!" Trish cried as she finally released him. "I made my bed Jeff and I have to accept the decisions that I made."

"JBL knows people… your friends know people… we can make you go off the radar… sell your company… you will be set for life… you never have to come back to New York again…. Hell go far away from America if you really want… tell me where you want to go and we will make it happen!" Jeff smiled as he attempted to restore the blonde's faith. "Say the word Stratus…"

"And what then? Raise a child on my own? No support? No friends? My whole life is in New York…" Trish sniffled.

"Your whole life was in New York… you said it yourself you feel lost… I felt lost for so many years and nobody should feel like that... " Jeff said as he gently wiped away the blonde's tears as their eyes locked onto one another. "Let's start again… in a place where nobody knows us… in a place where our history doesn't matter…"

"It's not just me anymore Jeff… I have another man's baby growing inside of me!" Trish cried. "It wouldn't work we've not even been together for how many years!"

"Yet there's not a day that goes by where I don't have you on my mind… I've been stupid before… I'm not being stupid again I love you Trish Stratus I always have and always will and I want to be the man you always knew I could be… I don't ever want to see you cry again… I want you to feel safe and secure and I'll love your baby as my own because it's a part of you and I love every part of you… we can have the life we always talked about before our twisted lives took over… I'm choosing you Trish... I know it's took me a while to realise but I know the type of man that you need me to be and I won't ever let you down again…" Jeff southern accent and talks about what could be soothed the blonde and for the first time she felt like there was hope for her future.

Trish smiled and nodded. "I might be crazy… let's do it…"

"Really?" Jeff couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I love you Jeff and I'm done pretending like I don't… it might be crazy but why can't we have the happily ever after we always dreamed off?" Trish smiled as her face filled with hope and faith in their future. "I'm just going to pack my bags…"

"I'll get the car to drive around and make a few phone calls!" Jeff smiled. "I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes."

"Always and forever?" Trish asked as she held out her pinky finger, a sweet memory and oath they promised all them years ago.

"Always and forever blondie." Jeff grinned as he collided his pinky against her, leaning into give her a passionate kiss on the lips. The electricity they felt when they collided was magnetic and enchanting, it was an unexplainable force that had kept the love for each other so strong despite the exterior situations and dilemmas that had occured in their relationship. They couldn't fight it anymore… they knew they were always going to love each other… it made them both believe in fate or destiny or something that they just couldn't explain. It was inevitable. They were each other's heart in human form and something neither could replace.

As the two separated from each other, Jeff brushed her cheek gently with his thumb. "I'll see you on the other side."

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world'_

As Jeff waited for what seemed like forever for the car to pull up, he noticed his driver pull his window down. "What took you so long?" Jeff asked. "I need you to wait here a second…"

Jeff pulled out his cell phone as he dialled JBL's number. "Look JBL… I need a fav-"

BAM!

With no further warning Jeff fell flat on the ground, unaware of the blunt object that had just knocked him to the floor.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish continued to pack her bags as she heard the elevator ping one more time. "I'm sorry Jeff… I'm ready now."

The blonde grinned as she carried two bags from her bedroom.

As she noticed who had walked into her penthouse…. Her smile disappeared swiftly from her face. Her body filled with fear as she began to tremor and shake - Shane stood in front of him. His eyes were black, his expression was blank as he stood with a crowbar, pacing up and down in front of the elevator. "You see Trish… I've really been trying with you… I've been patient, understanding, the perfect gentleman…"

"You're a monster." Trish snarled at him.

"You made me into this monster… I gave you everything you could ever want and what has Jeff done for you? Embarrass you and humiliate you… he chose drugs over you… yet he comes in here he tells you he's sorry and you go running back to him!" Shane seemed calm as he tossed the crowbar from one hand to the other. "You just don't learn do you…"

"I want you to leave…" Trish mumbled.

"I'm not going anywhere and either are you… you think you can just run off from me? You think you can take my legacy, my own flesh and blood and I'm going to let you and Jeff raise my child… I don't think so…" Shane chuckled maliciously. "Poor, delusional Trish…"

"You're not fit to be a father…" Trish stood still with fear as she tried to mask the worry in her body language and her face. "Now let me go Shane…"

"That's the thing Trish…" Shane's eyes were covered by his dark thoughts as they began to twitch. "He doesn't get to have you and since I can't have you… nobody's having you…"

' _I do believe in the light_

 _Raise your hands into the sky_

 _The fight is done, the war is won_

 _Lift your hands toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _The war is won'_

Stephanie and Hunter creeped through the crown jewel, after receiving Shane's suite key off of Vickie Guerrero the pair were surprised to see that they were too late. Shane wasn't anywhere to be seen - the two completely unaware that the damage had already been done.

Stephanie looked at her brother's laptop which had a password lock on it. He must've come to his senses after being caught by Vickie. "Fuck sake… he should be here and we can't even get into his laptop because he's got a password on his shit!"

"Any ideas what it could be?" Hunter shrugged. "We need to use this time to try and get evidence at least for all we know he could be back any minute…"

"Maybe you should try Invasion of privacy… I believe that's what this is." A vicious voice caught the pair by surprise.

Hunter and Stephanie swiftly turned around to find Vince stood at the door of Shane's suite, his arms folded and a frightening look on his face.

"I expect this criminal behaviour from you Stephanie… you have always been reckless… Hunter however I'm disappointed in you…" Vince shook his head. "Now you have 5 seconds to leave and we'll all forget about this inconveniance."

"You should talk to your son about criminal behaviour, setting up CCTV in Trish's penthouse isn't that classed as stalking?" Stephanie snarled. "Invasion of privacy I believe…"

"I told him to do it…" Vince chuckled. "You're friend isn't a reliable mother… plus the whole world knows she wishes she was still with Jeff Hardy… she will make a mockery of this family."

"I think Shane has done enough of that… you're really going to say you agree with his aggressive and abusive behaviour, he deserves to be locked up!" Hunter exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure that I pay you to be my henchman if I wanted your opinion I would ask." Vince bit back. "Now I'm really disappointed in you Hunter… however this is the first time you have ever betrayed my trust so I'm willing to give you another chance."

"I can't do that…" Hunter sighed. "I thought you were a man of integrity… I'm coming to realise you really are the devil…"

Vince stormed over to the laptop as he picked it up.

"Pass us the laptop dad… please for once in your life… do the decent thing." Stephanie pleaded.

Vince smirked at his daughter as he launched the laptop against the wall, smashing it into pieces.

"I suggest you go… before there's consequences." Vince warned.

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world from the last to the first'_

After a wild night, the alcohol was wearing off. Chris sat in the bar of the codebreaker, he pondered on the words Amy said. The guilt began to crawl in - how could he say those vile words about Trish. Yes he was heartbroken - something that hadn't happened to the young billionaire playboy ever before. He was feeling sorry for himself, a trait that never sat well with a Jericho. Chris whipped out his cell phone, dialling Trish's number.

' _You've reached Trish Stratus, I can't pick up the phone right now but if you leave your name, contact details and a message I'll respond as soon as possible.'_

"Hey Trish… it's Chris… I hope you're okay… everybody's pretty worried about you… in fact I'm going to come round and see you… Love you sis… I'm sorry I've not been there recently." Chris sighed as left the voicemail for his step sister. He had a bad feeling in his stomach… he needed to go and see her.

The young billionaire stepped out of his father's hotel as he called for his chauffeur, the limousine pulled up and he tried to call Trish a few more times. Straight to answer machine.

As he finally arrived outside of Trish's building, he heard groaning by the side of her building where the dumpsters all sat. As he pulled open the dumpster he was surprised to find Jeff Hardy lay on top of the rubbish. "I mean I always knew you were trash…" Chris smirked. "What happened?"

"I can't remember…" Jeff frowned as he pulled himself out of the dumpster and touched the back of his head to see sticky blood on his hand. Suddenly he remembered. "Trish!"

"What?" Chris asked shocked. "What's wrong?"

"We were going to run away… I got hit on the back of the head…" Jeff exclaimed as he began to fall to the ground due to the injury he had sustained. "Trish… We need to find Trish!"

"You stay here… call 911…" Chris replied frantically as he rushed his way into the lobby of Trish's building, running straight to the elevator and placing in the code to Trish's penthouse.

As the elevator landed on her floor, Chris's eyes widened at the sight of Trish passed out on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Bruises all along her body. "Trish! Trish… wake up Trish…"

Trish's body was unresponsive as he picked her up in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

' _To the right, to the left_

 _We will fight to the death_

 _To the edge of the Earth_

 _It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world'_

Chris paced up and down the hospital along with Jeff who must've had a serious concussion from his head injury. "You need to get checked dude…"

"Fuck that… I need to find Shane McMahon… I'll fucking kill him!" Jeff snarled as he punched a wall in the waiting room, causing people's heads to turn.

"Stop!" Chris hushed the rockstar. "We need to be here for Trish when she wakes up!"

"And what if she doesn't?" Jeff shouted. "I finally got her back!"

Stephanie and Hunter walked into the waiting room as they watched Chris and Jeff. "Where is she? How is she? I can't believe this? Is she going to be okay?" Stephanie cried.

"We're waiting for an update…" Chris sighed as he gave Hunter a dirty look. "What is he doing here?"

"He's done more for Trish in the last twenty four hours than you!" Stephanie snarled.

"Did he do it for Trish or did he do it for you!" Chris snapped back.

"Tell me where you fucking brother is…" Jeff hissed as he got in Stephanie's face.

"I think we all need to calm down!" Hunter announced as he stood in front of Steph.

Amy, JBL, Matt and Jillian walked through the doors.

"I thought you were going to distract him!" Amy shook her head. "Did you atleast find the evidence?"

"Vince smashed it up!" Hunter sighed.

"What is going on here?" Jeff raised an eyebrow at Steph, Hunter and Amy.

"This was the plan?" Chris scoffed. "Trish might not wake up! I hope you're all happy!"

"We didn't know Shane wouldn't be at the crown jewel, Vickie Guerrero had told us that he was there!" Hunter hit back. "I thought I could trust her!"

"Probably bought out by your dad." Amy hissed at Stephanie.

"Guerrero?" JBL frowned. "Our driver is called Chavo Guerrero…"

"He pulled up when I got attacked from behind!" Jeff announced.

"They were onto us…" Hunter sighed.

"Can we all just calm down… none of this is important right now… we just need to make sure Trish is okay!" JBL announced. "Whatever did or didn't happen… Trish is lying in a hospital bed… she's pregnant… we just have to pray she pulls through."

Jeff could feel his anger build up as he stormed through the group and straight out the hospital.

"I hope you are all happy…" Matt shook his head before he followed his younger brother outside.

Jeff pulled out a cigarette as he sparked it and inhaled deeply.

"I thought you would've quit by now…" Matt sighed.

"It's better than a joint right?" Jeff shrugged.

"She will pull through Jeff…" Matt smiled sadly. "She's strong…"

"She shouldn't have to be…" Jeff replied as he continued to smoke his cigarette. "It's all my fault… if I didn't go and see her…."

"Don't think like that…" Matt patted Jeff on the back. "What happened between you both?"

"We were going to run away… we were finally going to be together." Jeff mumbled as he threw half of the cigarette away in anger deciding nicotine couldn't help his emotions.

"You still can be… she will get through this…" Matt reassured his brother.

"I'm going to kill Shane McMahon." Jeff announced matter-of-factly.

"You need to be here for when Trish wakes up…" Matt sighed. "Go back inside."

Jeff nodded reluctantly as they walked slowly into the hospital room and reunited with the group as they waited to hear news on Trish's condition.

"I'll go and find out what I can…" Jillian announced to the group.

Jillian walked over to the group of doctors that were stood at reception, after talking for a few minutes, she returned with Dr Shawn Michaels. The doctor who was in charge of Jeff when he overdosed.

"Hi Jeff… glad to see you're doing well sorry that it's under these circumstances…." Shawn smiled sadly. "Trish is stable but still unconscious, we're just waiting for her to wake up, she's suffered serious trauma and has two broken ribs…"

"What about the baby?" Stephanie asked.

Shawn dismissed Stephanie's question. "We're going to allow one visitor to stay with her… the rest of you can stay in the waiting room but at the moment we're not sure when she will wake up… we recommend you all go home, get some sleep, come back in the morning with a fresh mind."

"I'll stay with her." Jeff replied quickly. "If that's okay with everyone?"

The group looked at Jeff and nodded slightly, remorse in their eyes.

' _The war is won_

 _The war is won_

 _A brave new world'_

Jeff sat by Trish's bed all night, he couldn't sleep, he worried too much. Fear of waking up and realising he had missed a moment with her. The blue haired man looked at her face as she slept peacefully, wires through her body, unaware of the trauma she had been through with the monster she called her boyfriend.

"Trish…" Jeff spoke softly. "I don't know if you can hear me… I'm so scared… you have to wake up… the world needs you… your light… your smile… you're pure heart… I need you… I've always needed you… now I realise you needed me… I wasn't there for you when I should've been… I've broke your heart so many times… I don't deserve you… I don't think there's a man alive that deserves you… just wake up… please…"

Jeff held Trish's hand hoping she would open her eyes, she didn't. She lay still, the beeping of the machines in the background. Jeff stood up off the chair as he kneeled down by Trish's hospital bed, he put his hands in a prayer position.

"Dear God… I know we haven't spoken in a few years… and I know you probably won't listen to my prayers… I don't deserve them but Trish doesn't deserve this… please let her wake up… I know I always seem to mess up her life and I will stay away from her… just please let her wake up…" Jeff prayed.

A touch on his hands, he looked up to find Trish's soft hand touching his own. He jumped to his feet and began to kiss her face softly.

"I love you so much… I'm so sorry…" Jeff cried.

"It's not your fault… it's Shane's…" Trish managed to speak.

"Do you remember what happened?" Jeff asked.

Trish shook her head before erupting into tears. "My whole body aches… I'm so tired…"

Dr Shawn Michaels walked in the room. "I'm glad you are awake Trish… you have two broken ribs… your body is severely bruised… it will take time to recover but you're awake and that is the main thing…"

"What about my baby?" Trish asked with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Trish…" Shawn replied with sorrow in his eyes. "You've lost the baby."


	17. It All Falls Down

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY. SONG LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'YOU FOUND ME BY THE FRAY'**

 **A/N - A LESS ACTION FILLED CHAPTER TODAY, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED. IF YOU COULD CONTINUE TO READ AND REVIEW THAT WOULD BE GREAT... HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!**

' _I found God on the corner of First in Amistad_

 _Where the west was all but won_

 _All alone_

 _Smoking his last cigarette_

 _I said where you been?_

 _He said, ask anything'_

It was Sunday evening, New York was covered with grey clouds as the rain began to flood over the city… has her heart filled with agony, heartbreak and mourning for the loss of her unborn child, her mind was full of suffering and her soul ached more than the broken ribs and bruised body she had received. On the inside the blonde was breaking and cracking at her core but on the outside she just appeared cold and numb, blank and expressionless. She discharged herself from hospital the same day against medical advice and had locked herself in her penthouse since the attack.

The last twenty four hours had felt like a nightmare, she waited and prayed she would wake up soon and it would all be a figment of her twisted imagination. Guilt and shame were present in the blonde's brain - she was so selfish. She put her feelings first, if she didn't agree to run away with Jeff, if she had just tried to make things work with Shane - maybe her baby would still be growing in her stomach.

Jeff had also been missing for the past 24 hours - she feared the recent events would have pushed him back to his old habits, he gave her one last kiss as he left the hospital and she hadn't heard from him since. The one person she wanted to be by her side, who she planned to have a future with had quickly been ripped from her grip and now he was nowhere to be seen.

The blonde sat on her sofa, her hair hadn't seen a brush since her release from hospital, she wore an oversize t shirt that she had kept from when she was dating Jeff as she hugged onto her pillow and sat in complete silence.

The elevator pinged as she heard footsteps walk towards her, she didn't flinch or move from her position instead she stared out of her floor to ceiling windows as it overlooked New York. Her step brother Chris sat himself next to her, not interrupting her silence instead joining her in it as he placed an arm around her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Trish didn't move a muscle, her face remained still as her blank expression never wavered and yet Chris didn't say a word, he just sat with her. He knew that no words would ease the pain she felt, he knew that no words needed to be said. There was nothing to say. All he could do is be there in the present moment.

The elevator pinged once again, Stephanie McMahon's voice echoing through the penthouse. "You leave her alone, stay away from her…" She shrieked. "You monsters…"

Chris turned his head to see Shane, Linda and Vince walking over to the blonde. Stephanie attempting to stop them in their tracks but with no success as her brother and father brushed her away. "We've come to talk…" Vince spoke calmly.

Chris jumped up as he squared up with Shane. "I should fucking kill you, you sick bastard…"

"We've come here to settle Trish for her…" Linda spoke as she thought of a way to phrase the situation. "Inconvenience…"

"You really are as bad as each other…" Chris snarled at the woman. "Get out!"

"We can't do that…" Shane smirked. "You see Trish and I were very publicly dating, very publicly starting a family, we want her to sign a non disclosure agreement, if anybody asks Trish fell and lost the baby as a tragic accident, our relationship couldn't recover and that is why we broke up, this way nobody is embarrassed and nobodies name is slandered."

"You're sick…" Stephanie hissed. "I understand this from Dad and Shane… but you mom… you're supposed to be a woman."

"We're just trying to avoid a family scandal… she will get paid for her trouble." Linda replied. "If she does try and tell anybody about what happened, we will deny it and take her to court for slander of the McMahon reputation… believe me I think that's the last thing she needs right now…"

"Do you even care?" Trish replied, her voice monotone. "You're grandson… granddaughter… just gone… not even given a chance to survive in this world…"

"Will Half a million dollars be enough?" Vince asked Trish.

"I don't want your money…" Trish shook her head, her tone unshaken.

"Sign the agreement Trish!" Shane hissed. "If you know what's good for you!"

"I'm not signing anything…" Trish replied calmly. "What are you going to do Shane, I'm not scared of you anymore… I'm not scared of any of you… I have nothing to lose…."

"Now I suggest you leave before we give you something to fear!" Chris warned as he stood in front of Trish protectively.

"We hope you reconsider." Linda shook her head as Shane edged forward in an attempt to get to Trish. "Come on boys…"

The McMahon's all walked back to the elevator, leaving Stephanie, Chris and Trish in the penthouse. Trish got up off of the sofa, her expression still

"I'm sorry I tried to stop them…" Stephanie between Trish and Chris with apologetic eyes.

Trish stayed silent as Stephanie looked at Chris who shook his head.

"You should both go… I have to be up early for work…" Trish mumbled.

"You can't be serious?" Stephanie gasped. "You shouldn't even be out of hospital and you want to go back to work?"

"I don't think that's a good idea Trish…" Chris added.

"I'm fine…" Trish mumbled flatly. "I need to go back to work…"

"I think give it a few days… maybe…" Stephanie suggested. "You've been through a lot of trauma Trish and you're probably still in shock-"

"I know what I've been through…" Trish replied as she coughed to hide the lump in her throat. " I have a business to run…"

"I'll do your work… just for the next week… at least" Stephanie replied. "The doctor told you that you need time to recover Trish…"

"No." Trish shook her head. "I want to get back to work. It's the only thing I've got left."

"We know you've lost a lot this weekend…" Chris sighed. "We're here to help you, everybody is going to help you through it, you have me, Steph, Jeff…"

"Jeff isn't here is he… he's probably off on a bender somewhere because he can't handle what's happened… because it's always about Jeff…" Trish scoffed. "Let's be honest Steph, me and you haven't been the best of friends recently and you Chris where have you been when I needed you?"

"You're my sister…" Chris replied. "I'm here for you now…"

"You're my sister too…" Stephanie smiled sadly. "You're the only family I have… just promise me you'll take some time to rest and grief and deal with reality without throwing yourself back to work I have you covered okay?"

Trish looked at Stephanie and gave her a defeated nod. The brunette made her way over and embraced her blonde friend in a gentle hug as she rocked her lightly. Trish didn't smile, she didn't feel comfort, she felt nothing. Empty. Numb. Alone.

' _Where were you_

 _When everything was falling apart?_

 _All my days_

 _Spent by the telephone_

 _That never rang_

 _And all I needed was a call_

 _That never came_

 _From the corner of First and Amistad'_

He felt guilty, it was becoming a regular occurrence for the blue haired, charismatic enigma. He knew he should be with Trish, he should be there by her side, in his eyes he was the reason she had lost her child, his interference with her life had caused her to lose her future. He knew she wanted to be with him, he wanted to be with her, to put together her broken pieces one day at a time - like he promised.

Yet there was a moment in the hospital and he didn't believe the blonde would ever wake up, he was far from a religious man in the last couple of years yet while he sat next to Trish's still body he prayed for her to wake up and she did, he also said he would leave her alone. As stupid as it sounded, he made an oath to whatever energy it was that brought Trish back to consciousness and in his mind, to protect the woman he loved, he needed to leave her alone.

When he left the hospital, he found himself at the airport. Lost and uncertain about his future. He knew there was one place he needed to go, somewhere he probably should've never left in the first place. If he hadn't left, he wouldn't have messed up Trish's life. He got on the first flight to Cameron and found himself knocking on his childhood best friends door, Rob Van Dam.

Rob and Jeff were adrenaline junkies that bonded over their chaotic behaviour. They were both thrill seekers, risk takers and were best friends from when they could start walking. They both stayed in contact when Jeff moved to New York but life had moved on for both of them.

Rob was now married to Jeff's childhood girlfriend Beth Britt. Jeff wasn't aware of this at the time when he turned up at their house and he was even more shocked to find Beth was pregnant with his best friend's child.

Jeff sat on the brown, leather sofa which he stayed on the previous night - he didn't sleep… in fact his sleeping routine from rehab had gone straight out the window, he had a lack of sleep over the weekend to the point he was completely over tired and it all seemed to blur into one memory.

"Hey…" Beth spoke softly interrupting Jeff's train of thought. "How long have you been awake?"

"I didn't really get any sleep…" Jeff chuckled. "Sorry for just turning up on you both here, I guess it's the last thing either of you needed…"

"It's fine…" Beth smiled politely as she walked over to the chair next to the sofa Jeff was on. She was heavily pregnant, somewhere in her third trimester. Jeff hadn't found out the details as of yet, he kind of sprung himself on the couple. "I guess it's a bit of a surprise to find out me and Rob are married huh?"

"I'm more disappointed I didn't get invited to the wedding…" Jeff chuckled.

"You were busy making headlines with your break up with America's sweetheart…" Beth shrugged. "We also didn't really know how you would take the news, I mean I know we were kids at the time and we were never anything serious, but we did date and you were both best friends…"

"Honestly…" Jeff spoke as he faced his Beth. "I'm happy for you two… I'm really happy…"

"Good morning princess…" Rob smirked with his multi-coloured dressing gown wrapped around his muscular body, his hair still long and in a ponytail, the way Jeff always remembered him. "And to you to Beth…"

"Oh so you've turned into a comedian since your boy is here?" Beth chuckled as she picked herself up from the chair. "Just wait until the girls come over for my baby shower, we'll have the last laugh husband."

"Oh shit I forgot that was today…" Rob exclaimed.

"Well maybe you and Jeff could go and do boy stuff… you know… out of the house." Beth raised her eyebrow as she hinted for Rob to go and speak to Jeff.

"Yeah course…" Rob chuckled. "We definitely need to talk about a few things…"

After the two old friends got themselves together, they took a drive around Cameron. The weather was overcast but still dry enough for the men to enjoy the day around their hometown. As they enjoyed the drive, a song that Jeff released played on the radio as Rob turned to face his old friend and laugh.

"I still can't believe you're famous…" Rob cackled. "You used to hate the spotlight…"

"It's got its pros and cons…" Jeff shrugged. "Your whole life in the public eye, your public mistakes, it's hard man."

"I hear you… especially when you're from a small town called Cameron… I bet New York was a shock to the system." Rob continued to steer his vehicle.

"I soon got to use to it…" Jeff spoke as a small smile escaped his lips as he remembered seeing Trish for the first time in the school hallway, the smile quickly faded as the events of the weekend began replaying his brain. "...I'm thinking of maybe moving back to Cameron, living a quiet life, staying off the map."

"I know you still have your southern accent but we both know this isn't your home anymore…" Rob shrugged. "...Why've you come back here Jeff?"

"I don't think New York is my home anymore either…" Jeff said perplexingly.

"It's nice to see the drugs haven't changed you that much…" Rob chuckled as Jeff swung his head to face him and kink his eyebrow. "...you still speak in riddles, still brood, still misunderstood…"

Jeff stayed silent as he watched the scenery from the passenger seat, his brain clicked into where Rob was taking him. A place he hadn't been since the funeral of his parents. Cameron Cemetery.

"What you doing man?" Jeff snapped. "Why are you taking me here?"

"Look I don't know why you are here!" Rob exclaimed. "If you won't talk to me then maybe you'll talk to them…"

Rob pulled up by the side of two gravestones that lay serenely next to each other. The graves looked well maintained considering their sons no longer lived in Cameron.

"I come here every couple of weeks…" Rob explained. "I make sure their graves are tidy, I know you and Matt have your own lives going on and they would understand, you're still my boy and they were a huge part of my life as well so I thought it's the least I could do for all of you…"

Jeff sat frozen in the passenger seat, unable to move a muscle.

"Go…" Rob smiled supportively. "I'll wait in the car…"

Jeff looked at Rob and gave him a subtle nod, as he inhaled deeply and gently opened the car door as he crept up to the graves. He looked at the gravestones of his mother and father as he sat down on the grass and stared at their portraits which were engraved into the stone.

At first Jeff sat quietly, unsure of what to say. He hadn't been to the grave since had moved to New York, in a way he had forgotten all about Cameron. It was time for him to get everything off of his chest once and for all.

"Hey mom, dad…" Jeff spoke softly. "It's Jeff…"

Jeff sat and sighed as he choked on his own words, uncertain about what to say next.

"...I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being a stubborn kid who thinks he knows it all… maybe if I'd just stayed in the house and dealt with the consequences of my actions like a man… then maybe just maybe you would still be here… I miss you both so much…" Jeff admitted as he began to speak more openly. "...I don't know how much of my life you've been watching from up there but I've messed up a lot… I messed up that night and messed up every day since…"

Jeff could feel the lump forming in his throat as he swallowed it down, trying his best to hold his tears in. "... I mean if I just stayed in the damn house… you wouldn't be dead… Matt and I would of never went to New York… I would've never met Trish and I would've never ruined her life…"

The blue haired man couldn't help it… he let out a single tear that streamed down his perfectly structured face. As he wiped the teardrop from his cheek, he looked longingly at the graves, praying that he would hear reassuring words from his parents but also knowing they wouldn't.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life… I have… I've let you all down… I've let myself down… I know that now…" Jeff admitted as he inhaled deeply to calm his emotions. "It's a shame you never got to meet Trish… you would've loved her… she's perfect… she's always been too good for me… smart, funny, the purest heart… even after all this time of us not being together… she still somehow loves me… I don't know what I did to deserve her love but I know she doesn't deserve the pain that I cause her…"

"I'm off the drugs now at least…" Jeff continued to ramble to the gravestones. "I know you wouldn't of approved of the last couple of years… I guess I was trying to escape reality… numb my pain… I don't even know what it was… I just know that I'm done making excuses…"

"You're making excuses now…" Rob stood behind Jeff and his voice caused the enigma to jump.

"I thought you were staying in the car?" Jeff frowned.

"Jeff I don't know what's happened in your life recently… I don't watch the news and I'm not really a big fan of gossip magazines…" Rob said bluntly. "You need to stop running away from your problems… I'm going to take you back to the airport… your life is in New York… your woman is in New York… and that is where you should be… dealing with your problems."

"You're right…" Jeff nodded in agreement. "I just have one stop to make first…"

' _Lost and insecure_

 _You found me, you found me_

 _Lying on the floor_

 _Surrounded, surrounded_

 _Why'd you have to wait?_

 _Where were you, where were you?_

 _Just a little late_

 _You found me, you found me'_

Trish stood in the shower as demanded by Stephanie and Chris. She let the hot water run down her skin as she stood still, her eyes closed as she let the water trickle off of her bruised skin. The warmth soothed her physical wounds but her mental and emotional wounds were wide open. Flashbacks of the weekend played on her mind, the mental and terrifying images of Shane beating her repeatedly with the metal crowbar, her pleading and begging him to stop but he didn't, he just kept hitting her, again and again.

The terror of the flashbacks caused the blonde to jump and slip into the shower glass as she banged her head. The blonde held her head as she placed a hand on the back of her head and tears began to stream down her face. It wasn't a loud sob, rather a quiet sob, no sound escaped from her perfectly plump lips, the air was stuck in her lungs as tears continued to pour. She placed her hands on her stomach, the feeling of death present. She no longer felt the life growing inside of her… instead she felt empty.

Stephanie rushed into the bathroom after hearing the bang. "Trish!"

The brunette turned off the shower, as she gently picked up her best friend, placing a towel around her and gently drying her. For the first time since she first found out, Trish couldn't hold back the pain she was feeling. She fell into her best friend's arms as she weeped.

"Sh…. sh…. I know…." Stephanie attempted to comfort the blonde as she stroked her hair tenderly. "My family will pay for what they did to you Trish… if it's the last thing that I do."

' _In the end_

 _Everyone ends up alone_

 _Losing her_

 _The only one who's ever known_

 _Who I am, who I'm not, and who I wanna be_

 _No way to know_

 _How long she will be next to me'_

Jeff and Rob pulled up at Raleigh airport, Rob analysed Jeff and began to laugh. "I can't believe you just made me take you to a hairdressers… just to dye your hair…"

The enigma had got his blue hair stripped and his hair was now his natural dirty blond. It had been a long time since he had his default hair colour, it was a symbol. A symbol of authenticity. He was no longer hiding behind his rockstar persona, he was simply being himself. Even if he was unsure who that was anymore.

"It was time to get rid of it…" Jeff shrugged as he got out the vehicle, soon followed by Rob who got himself out of his side. "I'm sorry for just turning up at your door man… I know you got your own life now… your starting a family… I'm happy for you."

"It was good to see you man…" Rob smiled. "You're always welcome to visit… maybe next time we can do some motocross… get the bikes out like the good old days…"

"Yeah we'll have to make sure we do that…" Jeff smiled as he reminisced on the simpler times.

"Hopefully I get to meet Trish one day…" Rob suggested. "She sounds like a good woman, I'd love to meet the woman who captured your soul."

"Yeah hopefully…" Jeff smiled at the thought of bringing Trish to Cameron, somewhere he always dreamed of bringing her but had never managed to manifest it into reality.

Rob and Jeff looked at each other as they gave each other a manly hug and patted each other on the back.

"Look after yourself bro…" Rob told Jeff as they separated from their hug.

Jeff half smiled as he nodded at his old friend and picked his bag up as he walked into the airport. The visit to Cameron was short but sweet, it was just what he needed to put things into perspective for him. He knew he needed to go back to New York. Back to Trish.

' _Lost and insecure_

 _You found me, you found me_

 _Lying on the floor_

 _Surrounded, surrounded_

 _Why'd you have to wait?_

 _Where were you, where were you?_

 _Just a little late_

 _You found me, you found me'_

After her meltdown in the shower, Stephanie had dressed Trish into some leopard print pyjamas, black slippers and a black fluffy dressing gown to help the blonde feel more comfortable. The brunette had brushed through her best friend's golden hair and was almost done blowdrying it for her as the blonde sat still, still replaying the events in her mind's eye.

Stephanie finished her friends hair, brushing through her glossy mane one last time and smiled sadly at her. Chris watched from the other side of the room, his heart hurt seeing his step sister feel the type of pain she was feeling.

"Thanks for being here guys…" Trish muttered timidly. "... but I think I want to be on my own…"

"Trish…" Chris began to speak before getting cut off by his step sister.

"I want to be on my own…" Trish sighed. "Please… just respect my wishes…"

"Trish I've just had to dress you and dry your hair…." Stephanie replied softly. "...do you really think it's a good idea to be on your own?"

"Please… just go…" Trish muttered. "Please…"

"I'm not leaving you!" Chris exclaimed.

"Jericho!" Steph snapped.

"Not a chance…" Chris shook his head dramatically. "I'm not leaving her…."

"She wants some time on her own!" Steph sighed.

"And I don't want her doing anything stupid!" Chris snapped back. "If I leave her and something was too happen to her that would make me an ass clown!"

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Trish exclaimed. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you get out!"

Chris and Stephanie looked at each other before looking back at Trish.

"Get out!" Trish screamed. "Now!"

"We'll come back tomorrow…" Stephanie looked at Chris who's face showed his unhappiness about leaving his step sister, Stephanie shook her head at him hoping he wouldn't press the issue any further. "Don't worry about work… I've got you covered… look after yourself Trish… please… we love you more than you know…"

With those last words spoke Stephanie pushed Chris to the elevator. His face still showed evidence of his disgust of leaving Trish alone in the state she was in.

"If anything happens to her… it's on you!" Chris hissed at the brunette.

' _Early morning_

 _City breaks_

 _I've been calling_

 _For years and years and years and years_

 _And you never left me no messages_

 _You never send me no letters_

 _You got some kind of nerve_

 _Taking all I want'_

After a two hour flight from Cameron, Jeff found himself back at Newark airport. It felt as if his visit to Cameron hadn't even happened, it was all over with so quickly. The rain in New York was still heavy as he got into a yellow cab outside the airport. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid to believe that he should leave Trish alone…

As the cab got closer and closer to Trish's penthouse, he felt nervous.

The cab pulled up outside her building as Jeff threw the money to the driver and looked up at the tall, glass building in front of him. He walked through the reception and straight to the elevator as he punched in the code for Trish's penthouse.

As the elevator stopped at the penthouse, Jeff stepped out. He noticed Trish was sat with the lights off, no background noise, it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. She sat still, as if she was in a trance just watching the raindrops on the floor to ceiling windows.

"I told you both I want to be on my own…." Trish growled, not bothering to turn her head.

"It's just me…" Jeff's southern accent echoed through the penthouse.

Trish turned her head swiftly, believing her mind was playing tricks on her. She noticed the 6ft man walking slowly towards her as she felt her anger build up inside of her.

"What are you doing here?" Trish gasped as she grabbed the remote next to her coffee table and turned the lights back on. "Oh you had a hair appointment? That's why you've been missing… nice to know what priority I am in your life."

"I'm sorry Trish…" Jeff sighed.

"You know people that say sorry as often as you most of the time are just saying it for decoration…" Trish howled as she felt the tears building up in her hazel eyes. "Because when somebody is sorry… they show they're sorry with changed behaviour… but you… you've let me down yet again Hardy… where have you been… I've needed you and you're nowhere to be seen… yet again."

"I'm here now…" Jeff whispered as he took a step closer to the blonde, he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as he delicately pulled her into a warm embrace, he ran his fingers through her hair as she rested her head on his shoulders. She couldn't help but crumble in his arms, as much as she wanted to be angry with him, he was who she wanted to be with at this moment in time. He kissed her repeatedly on the top of her head before continuing to whisper to the blonde. "I'm here Trish… I'm here…."

' _Lost and insecure_

 _You found me, you found me_

 _Lying on the floor_

 _Where were you? Where were you?'_

After tiring herself out from hours of crying into Jeff's arm, the blonde beauty had crashed in his arms and slept soundly on his chest. Jeff continued to stroke her hair affectionately as he couldn't stop staring at her face, he had never seen her this broken. It hurt him. It made him angry. How anyone could put their hands on this angelic soul, he couldn't put his head around it. How anyone could beat their child out of her. He wanted to find Shane McMahon. He wanted to kill him. No - that would be too quick for what he would do to him. He wanted to hurt him, the same way he had hurt Trish. Yet he knew she wouldn't want him too. She knew if he did anything to Shane it would completely change her outlook on him. That wasn't who she was, she didn't wish pain on people, even if they completely ruined her life.

As Trish slipped into a deep sleep, she let out a few cute and quiet snores, it caused Jeff to smile at the blonde. She used to deny ever snoring and although it wasn't loud, she most definitely did snore. It was cute. He loved how she looked so innocent and vulnerable when she slept because he knew she wasn't - she was one of the strongest people he had ever met in his life, she was a force to reckon with and yet as he watched her sleep she just looked so exposed. He just wanted to protect her. He never wanted anyone to hurt her ever again.

He carefully picked up the blonde off of the sofa as he did his best not to wake her. He knew he had to be extra careful as she would be sore and tender from the trauma she had received from the weekend. He carried her dormant body into the bedroom as he lay her carefully on the king size bed. He turned the light off as Trish woke up in a panic.

"You're not leaving again are you?" A half-eyed Trish asked the enigma. "Please don't leave me…"

"I'm never leaving you again…" Jeff replied honestly as he gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I'll be right here… I promise…"

Trish found comfort knowing Jeff had promised not to leave her as he lay down next to her and she once again cuddled into him, resting her head on his chest as she intertwined his hand with hers. Despite this weekend being one of the worst of the blonde's life, despite the trauma she had suffered, the fear she had inherited - lying with Jeff… she felt safe… he didn't fix her pain but he helped numb it… if just for a moment.

' _Lost and insecure_

 _You found me, you found me_

 _Lying on the floor_

 _Surrounded, surrounded_

 _Why'd you have to wait?_

 _Where were you, where were you?_

 _Just a little late_

 _You found me, you found me'_

Trish opened her hazel eyes as the sun rise woke her up from her peaceful sleep, dread automatically sunk in when she awoke to reality. The rain had finally stopped pouring over New York and yet she felt just as miserable as the day before. She looked to find Jeff still asleep next to her as she gazed at him, smiling sadly before tears fell out of her eyes.

Jeff heard the sniffling of the blonde who was sat up as he jumped up and put a hand to her chin. "You're going to get through this…" He spoke softly as their eyes locked onto each other.

"How?" She replied hopelessly.

"One day at a time…" Jeff reassured her as took her hand in his.

The moment was interrupted as they heard the elevator ping indicating that Trish had a visitor. Trish tried to get herself up but the pain from her body was even worse than the day before, Jeff helped her up off of the bed as he guided her to the living room.

Alice Jericho, in the flesh and blood, stood outside of the elevator.

"Oh I should've known…" Alice tutted. "You know I had to find out about the loss of my grandchild through the McMahons lawyers, brilliant start to my day, thanks for the heads up and then I come here and find you jump in bed with this hooligan first chance you get… you know what Patricia… you really are something else…"

"Get out…" Trish shouted. "Get out of my penthouse!"

"I beg your pardon!" Alice yelled back. "You will listen to me young lady, you've caused an uproar, the McMahons-"

"The McMahons can go to hell and so can you!" Trish spat with venom.

"I'm trying to help you contain this situation!" Alice scoffed.

"It's not a situation mom…." Trish cried. "My unborn child was beaten out of me by a man who claimed to love me… and once again… no consideration about how I'm feeling… you just rip straight into me like this is my fault…"

"It is your fault Patricia…." Alice sighed. "If you had thought with your head instead of your heart… you were going to run away with the man's child… you should know… never cross a McMahon…"

"I should've done this a long time ago…" Trish shook her head defeated. "We're done… I want nothing to do with you… get out of my life… for good."

"Patricia!?" Alice gasped.

"You heard her…" Jeff replied defending the blonde. "She wants you to leave…"

"I bet you're loving every minute of this…" Alice spat with venom. "I always knew you were more trouble than what you're worth… it's only a matter of time before you mess things up again… like you always do…"

"Leave now!" Trish exclaimed.

Alice glared at Trish and Jeff before dragging her heels towards the elevator. Trish couldn't help but shed tears as she watched her heartless mother leave her penthouse, she placed her head on Jeff's chest as he smiled wistfully at the crying blonde. He just wish he could take it all away, but he couldn't… all he could do is be by her side… to help pick up her pieces.

' _Why'd you have to wait_

 _To find me?_

 _To find me?'_

As the day continued to move on slowly, Jeff and Trish lay on her sofa as the box set of friends. It was light-hearted, sweet, funny and something to pass the time. Trish wasn't interested, her mind elsewhere, she continued to stare out of the window. Jeff wasn't really watching the series either, too concerned about Trish as she lay in between his legs, his arms wrapped around her from behind as their hands tangled together. She just appreciated being with him, lay together, the touch of his slender muscles on her back as he would drop her a kiss on her head every now and then. She didn't say much… he didn't press her to talk… he let out her just be.

The ping of the elevator alarmed their comfortable state as Trish sighed. "I told you before Alice… you have a cheek-"

As the pair turned around they were both as shocked as each other to find John Stratus, Trish's father and her newly found half-sister Maryse stood at the elevator.

"What are you doing here?" Trish frowned. "And why did you bring _her_?"

Jeff looked at Trish and her father - he had met her father on a few occasions but he was rarely around when they were together. When Trish's parents got divorced, she was raised mostly by Alice while her father was living his life as an entrepreneur, living the dream, travelling to different countries, expanding his empire. He was rarely in New York… and when he was Trish was lucky to get a visit off of him.

"Your mother called me… she's told me what happened…." John stated. "Your sister-"

"She's not my sister…" Trish clarified. "She's a stranger…"

"Your sister wanted to make sure you are okay…" John explained. "I wanted to make sure you are okay…"

"What do you think?" Trish barked. "I'm not okay… I'm far from okay…"

"I know honey…" John sighed. "I also know the McMahons are getting lawyers involved… they know they're in a sticky situation… I'm here to get rid of your troubles."


	18. Give Me Reason

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.  
LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER ' NEW DIVIDE - LINKIN PARK'**

 **A/N I WAS GOING TO WAIT TO POST THIS CHAPTER BUT NO POINT FRONTING WHEN I HAVE IT READY TO POST LOL  
I LOVE READING YOUR REVIEWS & OPINIONS ON THIS STORY SO IF YOU COULD KEEP THEM COMING AS MOTIVATION  
THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED :) HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER... AND HAS ANYBODY ELSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH UPLOADING CHAPTERS  
RECENTLY? IT KEEPS CHANGING MY WRITING TO CODE LOL ? ANY IDEAS ?**

 _'I remembered black skies_

 _The lightning all around me_

 _I remembered each flash_

 _As time began to blur_

 _Like a startling sign_

 _That fate had finally found me_

 _And your voice was all I heard_

 _That I get what I deserve'_

The weeks had gone by since the dreaded events that lead up to Trish losing her unborn child, her father had turned up to solve her problems and Trish was unaware of how he managed to do it but Shane had been officially exiled from New York. They didn't tell the news the real reason why Trish lost her baby, the public believed she had an accident which caused her miscarriage and herself and Shane's relationship deteriorated because of the sad event. The McMahons had agreed with John Stratus to make Shane leave New York and he wouldn't air their dirty laundry. How he had convinced the hellish family to the terms and conditions of the deal, Trish was unaware but she was happy knowing she would never see Shane step foot in New York again as per agreement, she also agreed to keep her new found relationship with Jeff under wraps while it all blew over; her father agreeing that it wouldn't be the best for publicity.

Despite Jeff being by Trish's side through the infernal events, the two hadn't confirmed or denied that they were back together. While Trish grieved, each day became easier to deal with - the pain was always there, the sickness feeling never erased yet Jeff helped her feel just a little bit better. They never met in public, neither knew they needed to give any reason for the McMahons to change their mind on the deal that was put in place for Trish. Slowly but surely, Trish was getting her life on track.

Trish had wanted to return to work for a while but Jeff had convinced her otherwise, Stephanie stepped into place on behalf of the blonde. For the first time in weeks, after confronting her own emotions she knew it was time to get back to work. She had to try and find a way to move on with her life, as difficult as it would be for her; she knew she needed to try. Her logic was the easiest way to distract how she was feeling would be to throw herself into her work. It worked for her during her break up with Jeff, she was hoping it would work for her in this time of need.

The blonde had become accustomed to wearing nothing but joggers, pyjamas and sweatpants. She had been wearing no make up for weeks while her hair was permanently in a messy bun. She had lost the pride she normally had in her appearance and believed if she wanted to feel better she need to start with her appearance. Trish looked at herself in the mirror, her face no longer showed the zest for life she normally had, rather she looked drained and tired. She began to apply her makeup evenly across her skin, highlighting her features carefully. Releasing her blonde hair out of her hair band, she struggled to brush through it, settling for a slick back, bun on the top of her head which revealed her angelic face. She looked at her work outfit which was hung up on the door, a black pinafore which sculpted her hourglass figure as she placed the white, long sleeved shirt underneath. She gave herself a weak smile but yet the blonde couldn't help but feel ridiculous and insecure.

A knock on the bathroom door broke her train of thought as she turned around to find Jeff leaned against the door, examining the blonde with his emerald green eyes. She loved the way he looked at her, his eyes sparkling back at her. His eyes were the complete opposite of Shane's soulless stare she had become familiar with.

"You look amazing…" Jeff's soothing voice caused her to look down at her feet and release a slight smile upon her cheeks.

"I feel and look ridiculous…" Trish sighed.

"You could never look ridiculous…" Jeff insisted as he took a step closer to the blonde, grabbing her waist from behind gently wrapping his arms around her. The two making eye contact through the mirror that was in front of them. "You know Steph said she doesn't mind filling in for you for a few more weeks…"

"No I need to go back to work…." Trish shut down the idea of taking more time off. "...I'm just nervous… I mean I'm sick of everybody looking at me like I'm broken…"

"I don't look at you like you're broken…" Jeff replied.

"Yeah well you're different…" Trish shrugged. "...If I don't go back now I don't think I ever will."

"I understand…" Jeff nodded his head in agreement as he placed a compassionate peck on her cheeks. "...I think I'm going to go by JBL's… I've not seen anyone much… not that I'm complaining… I'd definitely rather be by your side…"

"Hardy?" Trish looked at him with longing eyes, she stared at the dirty blond hair that she was still trying to get used too.

"Yeah?" Jeff gazed back at the blonde.

"Thank you for being here for me…" Trish said with gratitude in her hazel eyes.

"Thank you for letting me." Jeff replied. "And I'm sorry it's took so long"

Trish turned around to face him as she stood barefoot, tiptoeing upto the tall man in front of her and placed his face in her soft hands. She planted a slow, soft and tender kiss on his lips as they both closed their eyes to appreciate the moment, appreciate each others touch. They had been away from each other for so long, they made every little second count.

As they finally separated from each other's grasp, the two walked out of the bathroom back into the living room. Trish walked over to her bedroom as she found a pair of louboutins to finish off her outfit and strutted back into where she left Jeff. She watched as he stood unaware, he stared out of the floor to ceiling windows as he watched the city of New York. He wore his black hoodie and black jeans, his hair for once was not tied up but rather hung loosely above his shoulder.

Jeff could feel he was being watched as he turned around, they admired each other as a small curve crept onto Trish's lips, Jeff reacted with a smile of his own as he made his way over to the blonde.

"You ready?" Jeff asked the blonde, his heartwarming smile still evident on his face.

Trish nodded as his smile gave her reassurance. "Yeah… I think I am…"

 _'So give me reason_

 _To prove me wrong_

 _To wash this memory clean_

 _Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes_

 _Give me reason_

 _To fill this hole_

 _Connect the space between_

 _Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies_

 _All across this new divide'_

In the recent weeks since Matt's return to New York, he was focused on opening his new recording studio entrusting Ashley to overlook his LA branch while he overlooked the New York branch. The raven haired man knew he had to be close by with the release of his brother from rehab but since his release, Matt had barely seen his younger brother. He knew he would be by Trish's side and he was genuinely happy that the two had been brought back together despite the unfortunate circumstances that had reunited them. He knew Trish needed Jeff at this time and he knew Jeff needed to prove to Trish he could be there for her.

Living at JBL's was becoming a bit cramped, with the return of Amy. She offered to find herself somewhere else to stay but the family refused for her to leave once again, feeling more comforted if she was to stay at their house until she got herself on her feet. She had finally been open with everyone about her relationship with Dave Batista, how he had placed her in a mental institute which did some questionable things to the redhead and everything was out in the open. She had even started applying for jobs to occupy her time as she hoped to get her income back up.

With Matt and Amy under the same roof, the two were for once on good terms. Matt was looking for a place of his own so even if it was temporary they had to learn to get along… in fact they seemed to be getting along just fine.

Jeff stood outside of the townhouse as he knocked on the door, Jillian and JBL must've been at work as nobody was responding to the knocks. After living here throughout his teenage years, he knew JBL always left a spare key under a plant pot on the top of his steps. Jeff picked up the spare key as he carefully unlocked the front door, believing he was on his own, he began to make himself a cup of coffee.

A constant banging caught his attention, as it increased in speed. Jeff kinked his eyebrow, curious as to where the banging was coming from as he walked up the stairs and the noise became clearer and clearer; it was coming from the spare room.

As he twisted the door open, shock came over him as he found Matt and Amy naked, Amy on top of him as the two threw themselves in the quilt as they noticed Jeff stood eyes widened at the sight he had just saw.

"Jeff!" Matt shouted. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What've you done with your hair?" Amy exclaimed.

"Woah… that's irrelevant…" Jeff cackled. "Are you two fuckin?"

The redhead looked between the two brothers as she rolled under the quilt to hide her face, Matt didn't know where to put his face as Jeff stood with his arms folded and his eyebrows raised.

"So it's been a crazy few weeks…" Matt blushed as he scratched his head.

"I want you both downstairs and dressed in 5 minutes!" Jeff demanded as he stormed out of their room.

"Whatever you say dad!" Matt mocked as Amy came up from the quilt, both looking at each other awkwardly as they got out of bed and began to get dressed.

Jeff couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, he felt as if he was living in a different reality, or maybe he had travelled back in time with himself and Trish reconciling and catching Amy and Matt having sex. He sat on the kitchen island as he waited for the pair to come downstairs.

As he sipped on his coffee, he saw the couple sneak down the stairs and appear in front of him, like two teenagers who had been caught out by their parents. They looked down unable to make eye contact with the younger Hardy as they couldn't hide the amused look off of their faces. The pair stood in silence as Jeff continued to eyeball both of them waiting for an explanation.

"Well?" Jeff asked, his face grew annoyed as he waited for one of them to open their mouth.

"Well what?" Matt scoffed arrogantly.

"Since when are you two back together?" Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"We're not…" Matt replied bluntly.

Amy looking between Matt and Jeff unsure of how to feel about Matt's response.

"It sure didn't look that way…" Jeff uttered. "...you know when I walked into her riding you like a horse an image I'm not going to get out of my head anytime soon I might add!"

"Look… we've been under the same roof… we've had a lot of time alone… JBL and Jillian are working a lot… it just kinda happened… it's just a bit of fun right?" Matt looked at Amy, signalling for her to back him up.

Amy reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, which didn't go unnoticed by Jeff. "Right…"

"You do realise that's bullshit…" Jeff scoffed.

"Says the one who's playing house with his ex girlfriend?" Matt hit back. "You're telling me you haven't had sex with Trish since you have been staying at hers?"

"No actually… mostly because she's just had a baby beaten out of her stomach… it's not the biggest turn on is it Matt?" Jeff replied annoyed that he would compare the two situations. "Trish is going through a hard time and I'm being there for her… you two are being completely irresponsible… you finally get on good terms and then you start fucking?"

"We're adults Jeff.. we can do what we want!" Matt hissed back.

"It's going to end in tears…" Jeff warned Matt as he looked at Amy who stood silently as she met Jeff's gaze. "...is it just fun to you Ames?"

Matt looked at Amy who took a deep breathe and shook her head.

"Yeah didn't think so…" Jeff shook his head. "Sort this out now!"

As Jeff sipped the last of his coffee, he gave one last look of warning to Amy and Matt before he picked himself off of the stool and stormed out of the townhouse. Matt and Amy stood awkwardly as they avoided each other's eye contact.

"Is that true?" Matt asked as he continued to look at his feet. "You knew what this was Ames…"

"I know but I still love you…" Amy admitted. "I haven't ever stopped loving you and I know I messed up but I was young and stupid and worried about our future…"

"Amy…" Matt sighed.

"No… don't do that…" Amy sighed. "I love you and I know you still love me…"

"Yeah I do…" Matt replied honestly.

"So why can't we just go back to how things use to be? Trish and Jeff are working through their problems, if they can make it work why can't we!" Amy exclaimed.

"Because they didn't cheat on each other, Amy you broke my heart and not only that you broke my trust, I love you… I really do… but I can't trust you." Matt responded. "I don't want to be serious with you…"

"And I can't just have fun with you Matt…" Amy sighed.

"This was a bad idea wasn't it?" Matt confessed.

Amy nodded as the two finally made eye contact for the first time since their conversation. "I don't want to be on bad terms with you, you've been a huge part of my life for so long and I've only just got you back…"

"Why don't we try being friends?" Matt offered. "I mean we was friends before we ever dated right… back to basics…"

"I'd like that…" Amy smiled.

Matt returned her smile as the two came closer, embracing each other in a friendly hug. They both wished it could've been different, they still loved each other, they still were attracted to each other but being friends was better than not having each other in their lives at all. Somethings that were broken couldn't be fixed, no matter how much they wished it could.

 _'There was nothing in sight_

 _But memories left abandoned_

 _There was nowhere to hide_

 _The ashes fell like snow_

 _And the ground caved in_

 _Between where we were standing_

 _And your voice was all I heard_

 _That I get what I deserve'_

Trish was getting back into the working day, slowly but surely. It was a hard adjustment, everybody in the office would approach Trish sending their condolences, asking if she needed anything, sorry that her relationship had broke down. They didn't know the truth. That every time they sent their kind regards it actually just infuriated the blonde even more, they didn't know the true story but that was her own doing. She believed she was happy with Shane out of New York but her life would always be a constant reminder of the terrible things he did.

Mickie was a good assistant but she continued to annoy Trish, for no fault of her own, she just wasn't Melina. Mickie placed Trish's coffee on the table after getting it wrong for the third time today. "I'm so sorry Trish… this is definitely the right order soy caramel latte with extra foam!" Mickie grinned enthusiastically. "Third time lucky or what!"

Trish nodded signalling for the caramel brunette female to leave her office. Mickie oblivious to the signals made by her boss continued to stand in Trish's personal space.

"I think it's because Stephanie has been here… I must've kept her order on my brain when she's not actually the boss… but the whole time I've worked here I was doing her errands and now I need to kind of forget her orders and remember yours instead… I mean you can ask Stephanie yourself… I've been super duper at this job!" Mickie beamed.

"Right I get it…" Trish said impatiently. "Now get out of my office…"

Mickie was took back by Trish's tone, she admired the blonde, perhaps even idolised her. All she wanted was for her new boss to like her but it seemed she wasn't too keen. "No problem, sorry… if you need me you know where I'll be… sorry… again."

Trish let out a sigh as the brunette left her office, she knew she was being a bit harsh on Mickie - she didn't mean it and it was extremely out of character for the blonde. Mickie was sweet and eager to impress but Trish couldn't help but feel irritated by her, she just wish she still had Melina in her employment and also wish she had her as a friend. She worried about Melina especially after her recent run in with Shane, she worried about Melina's relationship knowing Dave was just as sadistic as her ex.

The phone rang on her desk as the blonde answered. "Hi Trish… sorry to interrupt… it's Mickie… hi…"

"Yes?" Trish sighed with an eye roll.

"Stephanie is here to see you... just thought I'd let you know because I know you're not in the best mood… I mean I know why you wouldn't be… I'm sorry… I'll stop talking now." Mickie ended the call as Stephanie walked into the office.

The chocolate brunette beauty looked stylish as ever with her flared black work pants matched with a black sweater vest and white shirt with a pair of snake print ankle boots. "Hey I thought maybe we could go for lunch on your first day?" Steph smiled.

"I don't really want to leave the office…" Trish replied not taking her eyes off the laptop in front of her.

"I got take out." Stephanie smirked one step ahead of her blonde best friend as she pulled a take out bag from behind her back. "We've not really spoke and I thought we could catch up…"

"What do you want to catch up about Steph… the last time I checked my life was put on pause because your brother beat our baby to death!" Trish hissed with venom that took Stephanie by surprise, once she realised what she said. "I'm sorry I didn't mean that…"

"It's fine…" Stephanie brushed off the comment despite Trish's hostility towards her. "I just want to be there for you and it's like you won't let me anywhere near you… I know we've had a rocky friendship for a while now but you're still my best friend Trish and you always will be…"

"I'm fine honestly… I'm working through it…" Trish replied with a forced smile.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Jeff…" Stephanie mentioned as Trish finally pulled her eyes away from the laptop to face her best friend.

"Please don't…." Trish sighed.

"No I'm glad…" Stephanie admitted. "I mean I know I've not always been a big fan of Jeff Hardy, in fact I don't think I've ever been a fan at all… but… he's helping you through this… he's being there for you when you won't allow anybody else… what I'm trying to say is I'm glad you're not shutting everybody out… even if it is… Jeff Hardy…"

"We were going to run away you know…" Trish confessed. "It's my fault Steph… it's my fault that the baby…"

"Don't say things like that… you don't deserve to feel that guilt… it's Shane's fault…" Stephanie stated matter-of-factly. "Not yours, not Jeffs… Shane's."

Trish nodded as she gulped down the lump in her throat, she had cried for so many months, she refused to cry again, not at work, not at her business.

"So are you and Jeff-" Stephanie began to speak.

"No… we're not back together…" Trish shook her head. "The last thing I need right now is to jump back in a relationship with Jeff Hardy… but it's nice you know… he's back to being my Hardy… I thought he was gone forever…"

"Just be careful Trish…" Stephanie smiled. "I don't know what another heartbreak would do to you…"

"You've got to have a heart to break…" Trish replied. "Right?"

"You'll always have a heart Trish… it just doesn't feel that way right now." Stephanie responded as she pushed the food towards her blonde friend. "Now eat your lunch…"

 _'So give me reason_

 _To prove me wrong_

 _To wash this memory clean_

 _Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes_

 _All across this new divide'_

As the work day came to an end Trish managed to make it through the day, a big accomplishment in itself, she turned the lights out in the office and was surprised to still see Mickie sat at her desk. Trish arched her eyebrow in curiosity as to why she was still at work when everyone had gone home. "You do know the work day is over right?" Trish asked.

"Oh yeah… I'm just trying to get myself in front for tomorrow… I realised I was a bit slower than what you're used to dealing with so I thought until I get into the swing of things an extra hour at night will be able to help me cope with the workload." Mickie smiled.

"I'm sorry if I've been a bit harsh on you today Mickie…" Trish admitted. "I just have a lot of stress and I didn't mean to take it out on you…"

"I understand…" Mickie nodded. "Trish I overheard you and Stephanie talking, you must've forgotten to put the phone down properly…"

"Excuse me?" Trish felt her anger flare back up. "Were you eavesdropping on my personal conversations?"

"It wasn't like that…" Mickie tried to defend herself.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't fire you on the spot!" Trish snapped.

"Because I really admire you, you're a role model to me and all I want is for you to like me…" Mickie declared. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to hear the conversation but I did and I know what Shane did to you and it's not right…"

Trish froze up as she heard Mickie's words.

"It's not my business I know…" Mickie sighed. "I just want you to know you genuinely don't deserve any of this…"

"How do you know what I deserve…" Trish scoffed. "You put me on a pedestal, you idolise me… you're obviously going to say that…"

"No Trish…" Mickie shook her head. "Nobody deserves it…"

"You can't tell anyone… I mean anyone about what you heard…" Trish warned. "It's really important you keep the knowledge to yourself and forget about it…"

"I won't… I promise…" Mickie smiled sadly. "I know you don't really like me, I can tell, I don't even know why you hired me-"

"Because you have a lot of potential…" Trish admitted.

"Well if you ever need to talk…" Mickie offered.

"I'll be okay…" Trish replied with a hard face. "Enjoy your evening Mickie… I'll see you in the morning… and please remember… soy caramel latte extra foam…"

"I've got it on my reminders…" Mickie beamed.

Trish half-smiled at Mickie before she left down the elevator. The blonde knew that Mickie had good intentions and she needed to try and be more patient with her. A sigh released from her luscious lips as she stepped out of the elevator surprised to see Maryse about to step in.

"Oh Trish… hey… I was just going to come see you I thought it'd be better if you were on your own so I waited…" Maryse declared anxiously.

"What do you want?" Trish sighed.

"I want to say I'm sorry…" Maryse admitted.

"Get in line…" Trish scoffed uninterested.

"I know the way you found about me was not the easiest way to find out you had a half sister…" Maryse explained further. "And I didn't even stick around to try and speak to you, I know this is the last thing you need right now but-"

"Yeah if I ever wanna talk… I've heard this speech before." Trish sighed.

"Actually I was going to say… I'm gonna be sticking around in New York for a while… if you ever wanna do something… you know get to know each other… maybe…" Maryse smiled as Trish still look unbothered by her half-sisters offer. "I've always known about you, I've always wanted to meet you and I'd really love to get to know you… here's my number… if you change your mind."

Maryse passed Trish her business card which had her cell phone number on and Trish nodded her head as Maryse left the building. Trish eyed up the card, placing it in her purse.

 _'In every loss_

 _In every lie_

 _In every truth that you'd deny_

 _And each regret_

 _And each goodbye_

 _Was a mistake too great to hide_

 _And your voice was all I heard_

 _That I get what I deserve'_

Adam sat in his office as the working day came to an end, the office was empty and he was coming to the end of the day. Beth Phoenix, his assistant turned the light off on her desk before knocking on his door. "Hey Adam… I'm gonna go now… is there anything you need me to do before I go home?" Beth smiled.

Adam shook his head. "I'm just finishing this article… then I'll be going home myself… enjoy your evening Ms Phoenix."

Beth couldn't help but feel disappointed. She wished he would ask her to stick around and help him write his article, she wished he looked her as something more than a helping hand. "No worries… I'll see you in the morning… good night."

Adam waved his hand signalling his farewells. As he began typing on his keyboard - the door knocked one more time. "Beth I told you I'm fine-"

Adam raised his eyes to find a petite and tanned brunette, covered in an oversized jumper.

"Can I help you?" Adam asked.

"Yes you can…" The female responded. "My name's Joy Giovanni, you probably don't know me, I went to Sacred Hearts, I was once part of the in crowd but let's be honest when you haven't got a family name to fall back on when you leave high school you become irrelevant…"

"I'm sorry I'm slightly confused…" Adam chuckled. "Why are you in my office Joy?"

"I want you to post something on OverTheEdge…" Joy smiled cunningly. "It's definitely something that'll get people talking…"

 _'So give me reason_

 _To prove me wrong_

 _To wash this memory clean_

 _Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes_

 _Give me reason_

 _To fill this hole_

 _Connect the space between_

 _Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies_

 _All across this new divide_

 _All across this new divide_

 _All across this new divide'_

After a long day at the office, Trish was glad to be back at the comfort of her own home. She was even happier to find Jeff asleep on her sofa, the blonde kicked off her heels as she sat beside him placing a kiss on his forehead which caused him to open his eyes slightly. "Hey…" His sleepy voice was evident in his speech. "How was your first day back?"

"I survived…" Trish spoke softly. "Did you see JBL?"

"Not exactly…" Jeff chuckled as he stretched his body and let out a yawn as he attempted to shake off the sleepiness. "...I walked in on Matt and Amy… you know… wrestling with their clothes off…"

Trish screwed her face in confusion before realising what Jeff was talking about. "Ohhh… interesting… do you think they'll get back together…"

"No…" Jeff replied as he shook his head. "I don't think so…"

"That's a shame…" Trish replied. "I'm just going to get a shower… and probably go to sleep… I forgot how draining work is…"

"I'll make us some food at least…" Jeff offered. "You need to make sure you're eating…"

Trish let out a small smile. "Sure…"

Trish gave him a quick peck on the lips before picking herself up off of the sofa, Jeff watched as she pulled her hair from the bun leaving her blonde mane messy as she ran her fingers through her hair to smooth it over.

The blonde looked back feeling the eyes of the charismatic enigma burning a hole through her, she turned her head slightly as her golden strands of hair cascaded over her face. She gave him a gentle smile which even after all of these years took his breath away, he smiled back her, he wanted to tell her how proud he was of her, how strong she was being but he knew there wasn't any point as she wouldn't believe him.

Jeff got up off the sofa as he made his way to the open plan kitchen, he began removing the ingredients from the refrigerator as he preheated the frying pan for one of his special stir fries, he used to cook for Trish all the time when they first started dating and he remembered how she loved the taste of oriental food.

As he began to get back into the rhythm of cooking, his phone started to buzz. He saw 'Matt' pop up on his touch screen and declined the call - he wasn't in the mood to speak to him. He wanted to put all of his attention on the blonde ensuring she would relax for the rest of the day.

The newly blond male returned to his cooking, as he he hummed along to one of his own songs, he was once again interrupted by his cell phone. This time 'Amy' popped up on his screen.

'Real smart guys' Jeff thought to himself as he declined the call once again, they wouldn't ruin his night with their drama.

Once again as he added the noodles into the vegetables, just as he was placing the food on two square plates. His phone rang one more time, this time 'JBL' popped up on his screen.

As he began to grow infuriated, he pressed the green button on his screen, accepting the call. "Look tell Matt and Amy if I didn't answer the first time I obviously don't want to talk to them!" Jeff barked down the phone.

"Son… we don't know if you've seen this yet…" JBL started to explain on the other side of the phone.

Just as Jeff put the phone down on JBL after hearing what he had to say, his heart began racing as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Trish made her way out of the shower as she locked her eyes on to her cell phone.

"Err… is everything okay Trish?" Jeff asked as he noticed the female glued to her phone.

Trish looked up to Jeff's gaze, shaking her head in disbelief. "You made a sex tape with Joy Giovanni!"


	19. Decisions & Regrets

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.  
LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 'SAY YOU WON'T LET GO - JAMES ARTHUR'**

 **A/N - THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS & KEEP THEM COMING, I LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU THINK, HERE'S THE NEWEST CHAPTER :-) ENJOY :-) **

"Err… is everything okay Trish?" Jeff asked as he noticed the female glued to her phone.

Trish looked up to Jeff's gaze, shaking her head in disbelief. "You made a sex tape with Joy Giovanni!"

"Look I know it looks bad…" Jeff mumbled as he forgot all about that dreaded night in Los Angeles. He had took way too many drugs and alcohol to even remember he had slept with her, never mind make a sex tape.

"Looks bad? Actually it looks like she's having the time of her life!" Trish hissed as she threw her phone at Jeff. "I can't believe you slept with her, I know you had a lot of conquests in your time but this is somebody I know… somebody we went to school with… somebody who would pass us in the hall and tell us how cute of a couple we were!"

"We weren't together Trish and it was one of my many mistakes I made in the years you wasn't in my life…" Jeff sighed as he tried to defend himself.

"You made a fuckin' sex tape!" Trish cussed as she couldn't hold back her emotions. "With Joy GioFuckinVanni"

"If it makes it any better I woke up and didn't remember a thing!" Jeff realised when he said it that it in fact didn't make it better. It just pissed Trish off even more.

Trish glared at Jeff, she couldn't believe how he tried to justify sleeping with her friend from high school. "You know if this was me and I made a sex tape with somebody you used to call a friend, you know you would never look at me the same again!"

"I was ready to raise another man's baby with you!" Jeff snapped back. "She doesn't mean anything, it's just another mistake that I can't fix Trish…"

"Why her?" Trish shook her head in fury. "Why did you have to do the sex tape with her? Maybe you always had a thing for her..."

"That's bullshit and you know it! I wasn't thinking, I had been at a club with R Truth, we were practically flying, we took a whole lotta drugs, drank a whole lotta bottles, I barely remember anything about that night in fact I had forgotten that night even happened!" Jeff replied calmly knowing that both of them angry wouldn't solve anything. "You know I've messed up, I know I've messed up, we're good right now, don't let people drag up the past and ruin what we got going on now!"

Trish stood staring at Jeff, his eyes pleading for her forgiveness and despite her anger - she knew he had a point. They wasn't together, they hadn't spoken in years, he was that high of drugs and alcohol he would've screwed anything with a pulse but it was the principle. A girl she knew very well, a girl she had considered herself a good friend at one point, a girl she looked out for in high school had now had a piece of her true love.

"Please don't let this fuck everything up… Out of all the reasons you have for not giving me the time of day just don't let it be this… please Trish…" Jeff begged as he came closer to the curvy blonde bombshell, she reluctantly embraced him in a hug, closing her eyes as she contained her anger. Jeff returned her grasp as he held onto her, scared to let her go in case she changed her mind. He didn't want to lose her, not from the actions he did when he wasn't in his right mind. Jeff moved a piece of her silky, blonde hair away from ear as he began to whisper. "I don't want to lose you, not again…"

The words sent a shiver down her spine, it hurt more knowing that he did mean it. She knew he loved her, she knew he always would love her, the same way she loved him and would always love him. It hurt knowing what he had done in the two years they weren't together, how many other girls would've had a piece of her. She also knew how no matter how many girls had slept with Jeff, it didn't hurt as much as the one man she was in a relationship with and got impregnated by. As much as she hated to admit Jeff was right, they weren't together, in fact she was in a relationship with another man. She wanted to be angry, she was angry but she knew if they was too ever regain their trust and regain their relationship status together… she needed to accept Jeff for his past.

 **1 Week Later**

The whole world was obsessed with the sex tape that had been released by Adam. Jeff and Trish managed to get past it, agreeing to leave it in the past but the constant reminders on social media and in the news were taking its effect on Trish - the world didn't know Jeff was in her life again. Imagine if they did.

Trish sat upright in her comfortable chair as she tried to focus on her work as she tapped her keyboard quickly. The news coming from the plasma TV that was on the wall opposite her, kept grabbing her attention - mostly talk show hosts discussing the sex tape that was released. As Trish grew angry with one channel, she switched it to another just to find it on the news, she would switch the channel again but it seemed everybody in the world was still discussing the sex tapes - whether they were giving Jeff credit for his 'groove' or whether they was discussing who Joy Giovanni actually was, whether they approved, whether they disagreed. It was everywhere and everybody was discussing it.

In frustration the blonde aggressively pushed down on the power button of the remote, sick of hearing about the infamous sex tape. As much as she tried not to be angry, the constant reports was fuel for her fire. The blonde let out a deep breath as she tried to focus on the work she needed to finish and began typing once again as her attention was now broke by a notification on her phone. Another report about Jeff and Joy in her news app. The blonde let out an exasperate grunt as she slammed her hand on the desk. "Fuck sake!" Trish screamed.

"Wow anger issues much?" Chris's voice took Trish by surprise. "Did I ever tell you how sexy you look when you're angry, truth be told when I first met you and Steph, I used to piss her off just so I could see you get yourself all worked up…"

"Can you stop being a perv for once in your life please?" Trish scowled disamused by her step brother's comment.

"I'm joking…" Chris chuckled as he threw his hands in the air to signal his innocence. "Well sort of…. What's up thunder thighs?"

Trish darted a 'not now' look as she attempted to continue typing in her laptop.

"Well actually I've seen the video…" Chris commented. "I definitely know what's 'up'…"

The blonde bombshell continue to glare at her step brother, nostrils flared in disgust as he tried to make light of the situation. "Don't fucking start with me!"

"C'mon Trish why are you so bothered? You weren't even with the rainbow warrior at this time…" Chris chuckled as he placed her a mix fruit smoothie on her desk along with a sandwich while she continued to ignore him and type on her laptop. "Will you stop sucker punching the keyboard and eat some lunch with me…"

"He's not the rainbow warrior anymore…. He stripped his hair…." Trish said matter-of-factly as she took a sip of the fruit smoothie and pulled the brown paper bag with her sandwich in.

"Irrelevant…" Chris rolled his eyes. "Talk to me Trish…"

"What do you want to talk about Chris… the fact that it's just always one thing after another… I went through what was possibly the worst time of my life and do you know who made me feel better? Jeff… do you know who continues to give me strength everyday? Jeff… do you know who actually makes me smile when I feel like I can't go on anymore?" Trish ranted.

"Jeff?" Chris kinked his eyebrow with a smirk.

"And then that stupid sex tape gets released and that's all I can think about… it doesn't matter if it was when we wasn't together… it hurts Chris… it hurts that everybody is discussing the man I love having sex with a girl that used to be my friend!" Trish sighed defeated. "I know it shouldn't matter because it was then and this is now but I feel like there's always something that is going to pop up from Jeff's wild years that will be a roadblock in our future…"

"Patricia…" Chris chuckled, his tone had a sarcastic twang as he pronounced her birth name which Trish just replied with a frown. "...you gotta let it go…"

"How can I?" Trish asked as she looked at Chris to restore her faith in the man she loved. "I feel like we're always one step away from hearing something that could ruin us for good…"

"You and Jeff are good right?" Chris asked simply.

Trish nodded. "Really good…"

"He's been there for you right?" Chris asked again in the same tone.

Trish nodded once more.

"He's still sober since his return from rehab right?" Chris asked.

Trish nodded frantically.

"So the man in that sex tape, yeah… he let you down, yeah… he hurt you , he made a lot of public mistakes including drugs, fights and now apparently sex tapes but the man you have been spending the last few weeks with isn't the same man in that video…" Chris shrugged. "Come on you know I haven't liked Jeff since the whole VegasGate situation… but he seems to be really trying to prove to you he's changed… you can't hold his past against him… not if you want a future…"

Trish looked down as she heard the words that her step brother had said. "You're right… I know who Jeff is and he's not that guy… that wasn't him… it was the drugs… and addiction is a disease… which is he will always battle with… it's not an excuse… but I have to accept that about him if we're ever going to be together again…"

"I mean you practically are together…" Chris replied. "...let's not fool each other…"

"We're just…." Trish began to speak as she trailed off, thoughts about her current situation with the infamous Jeff Hardy entering her head as she tried to decode what they were.

"Trish and Jeff…" Chris finished her sentence. "... fuck what other people think, he's trying to be the man you always knew he was and it takes a strong person to right their wrongs."

"I've never heard you stick up for him so much in my life…" Trish chuckled.

"I know it's weird…" Chris fake gasped. "...he's not give me a reason to kick his ass yet… I mean he has in the past but it's in the past right?"

"Right…" Trish smiled genuinely at the comfort she had received from her step brother. "I've missed you ass clown… I'm sorry I've been so distant lately…"

"Don't sweat it thunder thighs… and don't use my words either… I mean I'll let you off this time because you've been through a lot recently… but it's a one time offer." Chris joked.

"How have you been? I've been so caught up in my own world…. I forgot you have your own issues…" Trish smiled gently. "I mean have you spoke to Steph at all?"

Chris shook his head. "I'm getting over it… I mean I'm not… that was a lie… I told her I love her and she didn't say it back… it's time to move on… I mean really move on and not start fucking strippers and partying with hot girls… I mean as fun as it is… it's not helping."

"Christopher Keith Jericho…" Trish's jaw opened in shock at Chris' words. "That is very grown up… especially for you…"

Chris nodded along as he scratched the back of his head embarrassed before shaking it off with a deep chuckle. "...also I'm too old for hangovers… partying all the time… I don't think I can do it anymore… I don't want my dick to fall off either… I mean I have had minor STD's don't get me wrong but that's something I can fix… herpes… genital warts… they're incurable…"

"We was having such a nice moment…" Trish shook her head with a chuckle. "I'm sorry about you and Steph… seriously… I never even knew you were capable of love…"

Chris shrugged. "Shit happens right?"

"Yes it does…" Trish nodded in agreement.

"I mean the new Melina is pretty cute…" Chris smirked. "What's her name again?"

Trish shot him a 'don't you dare look' as Chris couldn't help but grin back at her. He had no intentions of chatting up her new employee but he loved to annoy his step sister.

"I'm joking…" Chris laughed. "...semi."

"I really need to finish this workload Chris…but are you going to the reunion tonight?" Trish asked.

"Why would I miss an opportunity to rub in the fact that I'm still the playboy millionaire dickhead that I was in high school?" Chris asked rhetorically. "Of course I'm going…"

"Well you know the situation between me and Jeff and the agreement with the McMahons… especially with this sex tape fiasco… yet I really want him to come… would you mind maybe…" Trish smiled innocently as she fluttered her long eyelashes.

"Fine…" Chris rolled his eyes.

"You're the best…" Trish grinned.

"I know…" Chris replied arrogantly as he turned his back with a wave as he left her office.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

After a long day at work Trish returned to her penthouse, Jeff had been there ever since the day he had returned from Cameron They were practically living together; without even realising it, they enjoyed each other's company. Trish's emotions were still all over from recent events, her grieving became easier to deal with but was always present, she had even began struggling to sleep from the nightmares of the horrible events that had occurred yet she managed to wake up every day and get herself into work.

Trish was getting ready in the bathroom applying her makeup for the reunion when Jeff strolled in struggling to fix his tie. Trish chuckled as she stepped up in her towel as she started from the beginning to do his tie properly.

"I really don't want to go tonight…" Jeff moaned. "I mean everyone is still going to be the same dick they was in high school, except now they'll have an expensive apartment or they'll brag about their job, it's all superficial and pointless…"

"Well you can go and show everybody that you're still the same mysterious Jeff Hardy that they knew in high school despite the headlines and tabloids and you can brag about the fact you went to rehab and you're also two months drug and alcohol free…" Trish smiled.

"Oh that's a great conversation starter…" Jeff mocked. "Also have you seen the people that were in our year? They'll push me back to drugs and alcohol with their boring conversations and egotistical values."

Trish frowned at the joke made by Jeff. "How do you think I feel? They'll be telling me how sorry they are that I had a miscarriage and that my relationship failed when in reality Shane beat me to an inch of my life and I hope I never lay eyes on him again…"

"Exactly so let's not go… we can just stay here…" Jeff suggested. "That way we can actually hug and hold hands and kiss…"

"No we're going…" Trish insisted. "We're not hiding away besides I'm sure you can keep your hands to yourself for a few hours… all done… now don't you need to be going to the Codebreaker to meet Chris?"

"Or… I could just stay at JBL's… play some war games with Matt on the playstation…." Jeff teased as he placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's forehead.

"Jeffrey Nero Hardy… you best be at the reunion or so help me god!" Trish warned as Jeff began to slowly make his way out of the room with a mischievous grin on his face, it was infectious even causing Trish to release a smile.

"I'll be there… I promised I wouldn't let you down ever again…" Jeff reminded her. "Remember?"

Trish continued to smile as Jeff removed himself from the bathroom, looking in the mirror, then as soon as she was alone - she felt it. The guilt for smiling, the guilt for moving on with her life, the guilt for a split second feeling happy. How could she feel happy with the events of recent weeks? How could she allow herself to be positive? She was about to become a mother, a protector yet she let her unborn child down and when she was alone, all she had was her disgusted thoughts that played in her mind every day.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish and Stephanie arrived at their former high school, memories of their scandalous youth rushed back to them. They were the queens of Sacred Hearts. Trish took one step down the hall and remembered the first day she ever met Jeff Hardy, a smile crept to her lips as she remembered how nervous he was speaking to her. How instantaneously they both grew intrigued by the other, how they started off with glances at each other during school hours before eventually growing a friendship and admitting they were falling for each other. Trish was in a relationship with king of the social ladder - John Cena her whole life before Jeff appeared, John was that guy, the guy who everybody wanted to be with yet Trish wasn't never emotionally fulfilled within the relationship. It was considered to her more of a business transaction between the Cena family and her mother Alice rather than the passionate, intense love she found with the unique Hardy boy.

Stephanie reminisced about the chaos she caused in school, the way to describe a teenage Stephanie was she was exactly the same as she was now except one hundred times more savage and ruthless. She was the girl that nobody dared to anger, dared to question or dare annoy. Everybody knew that there would be consequences. Deep down, underneath the tough exterior, Trish knew the real Stephanie, the girl with a huge heart who was scared of her emotions. That's why they got along from a young age, Stephanie had a good heart, she just didn't always let it show.

"Wow… a lot has changed since we walked these halls…" Trish smiled as she was reminded of the craziest five years of her life.

"And yet some things haven't changed at all…." Stephanie replied. "So is your secret lover making an appearance tonight?"

"Yes…" Trish smiled as she thought about Jeff turning up in his suit, he made her heart flutter when she seen him suited and booted. "...but we obviously can't interact with one another… you know due to the agreement between your parents."

"Fuck them!" Stephanie responded. "It's been a month since Shane has been exiled from New York, besides I think people would find it weird if you didn't talk at all… I mean… everybody knows how Jeff is around you… he can't resist… I think you're the biggest drug off all to him."

Trish raised an eyebrow at the comment made by Stephanie and shrugged. "I just don't want to mess up this agreement, I'm finally trying to put this whole thing behind me and I don't need another set back…"

"I understand but he's making you happy… I've not seen you happy in a very long time." Stephanie commented. "And you know I'd be the first to say avoid him because let's face it, rockstar or not, he's beneath you…"

Trish gave Stephanie a look that read 'be nice'

"Well Trish in my eyes everybody is beneath you… you're one in a million…" Stephanie replied dramatically rolling her eyes. "But if he keeps you happy, then I'm happy, even if he does have a sex tape with that backstabbing, two cent whore Joy Giovanni!"

"We're moving past it…" Trish shrugged. "...and I'm trying to erase the mental image from my mind… it was a stupid mistake on Jeff's behalf and besides I'll never have to see her again"

"I know I'm just saying…" Stephanie shrugged back. "She is a backstabbing, two cent whore and I pray for her sake that I don't ever see her again because I'll put her out to the trash where she belongs the little skank!"

"Well I want to put it behind us and never mention her name again…" Trish replied with a small chuckle as her best friend punched her fist into her hand aggressively.

"She who shall not be named is officially off topic…" Stephanie zipped her mouth dramatically.

"You're more of a geek than I give you credit for…" Trish teased.

"Yeah but if you tell anyone… I'll cut you." Stephanie grinned mischievously.

"So…" Trish began as she looked at Steph knowingly. "...I seen Chris before…"

Stephanie froze when she heard his name for a split second before her cold as ice exterior reformed on her face. "Cool…"

"Oh c'mon Steph…" Trish rolled her eyes. "Don't do that…"

"Don't do what?" Steph gasped acting oblivious.

"Don't act like you don't care…" Trish stated. "You know it doesn't work on me…"

"Look…" Stephanie sighed. "Do I have feelings for Jericho? Yes! Do I want too? No! Because he's a 12 year old boy in a 23 year olds body and he is the biggest ass clown that I know!"

Trish couldn't help but laugh as she watched Stephanie.

Stephanie arched her eyebrows at Trish. "What's so funny?"

"Ass clown? Really? You've even inherited his vocabulary…" Trish smirked.

Stephanie looked mortified as she didn't even realise she had used one of Chris' insults.

"Why are you trying so hard to act like you don't care… I don't get it?" Trish asked. "He loves you, you obviously love him-"

"Woah, woah, woah… slow down blondie… I don't love him… who mentioned anything about love… I definitely don't love him… I'm Stephanie McMahon… I don't do love…" Stephanie scoffed nervously. "Like imagine me being in love with Chris Jericho!"

"I don't have too imagine… it's kind of written all over your pretty yet surprisingly mean face." Trish chirped smugly. "You looooove him!"

"I do not!" Stephanie insisted.

"What would be so wrong if you did?" Trish questioned with interrogating eyes.

"Everything!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Trish… I'm a McMahon… He's a Jericho… I'm a princess… He's an ogre…"

"It worked for Shrek and Fiona…" Trish smirked.

"This isn't a fairytale Trish!" Stephanie snapped.

"Neither is Shrek…" Trish replied cockily. "Look… I'm just saying he's really ready to let you go and I don't want you both missing out on happiness because you're too scared to say the three words…"

"I'm not scared of anything…" Stephanie frowned.

"Too scared… too stubborn… too proud.. Whatever your reasons are Steph cut the crap you're only hurting yourself… I just don't want you to regret it and think what if…" Trish shrugged. "And stop using the excuse of McMahon vs Jericho because you know that's not a valid reason…"

"Can we just drop it?" Stephanie snapped before turning to her best friend with a softer tone that showed the brunette's vulnerability. "Please…"

Trish looked at her best friend and nodded as the two stepped at the end of the hallway preparing to step into the event hall. Trish was wearing a cream, maxi cocktail dress with one shoulder strap with a pair of nude court heels. Stephanie wore an emerald green bandage dress matched with gold strappy heels. The two knew how to turn heads as they made their first foot into the hall of memory lane.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff walked into The Codebreaker, yes he had a high school reunion where people would be trying their best to impress with their designer tuxedos but he wanted to keep his identity as the unique, mysterious, rebel who didn't fit in with the Upper East Side. The charismatic enigma wore a funky black blazer which was encrusted with rainbow sequins that provided a snake skin effect along with a white shirt and black pants and finished off with his black tie which had been given the special touch of affection by Trish. His dirty blond hair was combed neatly behind his ears so that his piercings were still on display as he decided to ditch the usual man bun which revealed the shaved strip at the bottom of his head, deciding to hide his abstract hair patterns for once.

"There he is…" Chris called out in the lobby catching the enigma's attention as he walked over with open arms. Chris looked suave in his all black designer tuxedo and he looked incredibly well groomed. "The rainbow warrior himself… even with blond hair you still find a way to express yourself…"

Jeff chuckled, the two men had settled their differences with the hand shake when Chris and Steph had visited Jeff in rehab. Yet considering how close they used to be, there was definitely an elephant in the room. The two awkwardly gave each other a bro hug as they patted each other on the back.

"It's good to see you Jericho…" Jeff admitted. "And I know this was Trish's idea… so I'm sorry if I ruined the vibe…"

"Dude let me set one thing straight…" Chris kinked his eyebrow. "I wanted to beat your ass after the shit you pulled in Vegas, I wanted to beat your ass quite a few times actually…"

Jeff nodded in agreement. "I don't blame you…"

"However…" Chris announced with exaggeration. "You have done the impossible recently which is make my sister happy… you have been there for her when she needed someone to pick up her pieces… you've earned my respect Hardy…"

Jeff flashed a genuine smile as he and Chris shook hands.

"However…" Chris announced once more with exaggeration. "If you hurt her again Jeffrey… I will have no choice but to pound your face into every street corner of New York City… kapeesh?"

Jeff nodded in agreement. "If I ever hurt her again I won't even resist the beating… I'll even let you record it and get Adam to post it…"

"I think we have had enough recordings posted by Adam… don't you?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

Jeff hung his head in shame.

"Look… if Trish wasn't my family… I'd be giving you a fist pump right now… Joy Giovanni is smokin hot and the sex tape was wild…" Chris smirked.

"You watched it?" Jeff frowned. "Dude that's really weird…"

"Oh c'mon everybody's watched it…" Chris shrugged. "It's not weird…"

"Dude it is weird…" Jeff chuckled.

"You're telling me if I released a sex tape that you wouldn't watch it?" Chris scoffed.

"Definitely not man…" Jeff screwed his face in repulsion.

"Oh bullshit!" Chris exclaimed. "You would so watch my sex tape…"

"No I wouldn't…" Jeff insisted.

"Yes you would…" Chris insisted back.

As the two men walked to get into the limousine to take them to the reunion, the two continued to bicker about whether or not Jeff would watch Chris Jericho's sex tape.

"You know I might just release a sex tape now…" Chris said seriously in the back of the limo. "Just so I can prove that you would watch it…"

"Dude I wouldn't watch your sex tape…" Jeff laughed.

"You definitely would!" Chris replied annoyed. "What's wrong with my sex tape?!"

"Nothing is wrong with your imaginary sex tape but I just don't want to watch it!" Jeff chuckled as Chris was taking the debate far too personally. "I'm sure it's a very good sex tape but I just would prefer not to have the mental image in my memory…"

"But I watched your sex tape!?" Chris whined child-like.

"Exactly and that's weird!" Jeff exclaimed.

"But you would watch my sex tape!" Chris insisted.

"Dude I really wouldn't watch your sex tape!" Jeff laughed.

As the debate continued after battling with the traffic of the Big Apple, what felt to the driver like a 3 day road trip was finally at an end as they arrived at Sacred Hearts, the driver let out a sigh of relief as the two bickering men jumped out of the limousine. Chris still determined Jeff would watch his sex tape while Jeff couldn't control his laughter which only infuriated Chris even more. The two made their way into the hall where the reunion was being held, distracted by their sex tape debate to even notice who was around.

"What is so bad about my sex tape that Jeff Hardy can't watch it?" Chris announced insulted.

"Dude for the last time…" Jeff sighed. "Nothing is wrong with your sex tape…"

"So why won't you watch it!" Chris huffed.

"Because you haven't even got a sex tape!" Jeff laughed in disbelief.

Torrie Wilson stood behind the two as she heard their ongoing debate, unaware that Trish and Jeff were on good terms, she decided to get herself involved in Chris and Jeff's debate. Torrie was wearing a figure hugging blush pink bandage dress matched with nude heels as she tapped Jeff on his shoulder.

"Well we all know who does have a sex tape!" Torrie announced bitchily. "I'm glad you find this funny Hardy because you have not only ruined my friend's reputation but you have probably broke my other friend's heart into pieces when she's already got enough going on with her miscarriage and break up! You're nothing but scum!"

"Look Torrie…" Jeff replied biting his lip to contain his anger, he knew Torrie didn't know he had reconnected with Trish and he also knew she didn't know the reason Trish miscarried or the real reason that her and Shane broke up. "I didn't do anything… I didn't release the sex tape… hell I didn't even know there was a sex tape… I was fucked up!"

"What a surprise…" Torrie rolled her eyes.

"I know you think you're doing your 'friends' a favour by sticking your nose into business that it doesn't belong in and I admire you for keeping the same minion mentality you had from high school but you have no idea what you're on about… so I suggest we drop this debate." Jeff replied calmly despite his anger attempting to burst through.

Torrie gasped at the audacity of Jeff. "You'll do anything to be in headlines, did you think that Trish would get jealous and take you back newsflash she's over you…"

Jeff chuckled as Torrie continued to frown.

"...in fact she probably hates you more now than ever before because it just shows that all you do is take advantage of vulnerable girls." Torrie continued.

"I didn't take advantage of anyone…" Jeff laughed. "...your so called friend 'Joy' was all over me like a shot, in fact she's a stripper now in case you didn't know which I don't think that you did know and it's funny that all of a sudden, her names being mentioned everywhere… I'm already famous why would I need the exposure!"

"You're a liar!" Torrie exclaimed as the argument between the two began to turn everybody's head in the hall, catching the attention of Trish and Stephanie who quickly made their way over.

"What's going on?" Trish frowned as she stood next to Jeff protectively.

"Your waste of space ex boyfriend took advantage of Joy and now he's slandering her name all because he wants to try and win you back…" Torrie snarled as Jeff rolled his eyes and continued to chuckle.

"He doesn't have to try…" Stephanie muttered but was shot a look by Trish. "I mean let's be honest Torrie… Joy is a skank… she disappears of the face of the earth, fucks Trish's ex boyfriend and released a sex tape for exposure… it sounds legit to me…"

"She's your friend!" Torrie gasped. "I can't believe you would believe him over her!"

"If that's what she does to her friends I'd love to see what she does to her enemies…" Stephanie replied sarcastically which angered Torrie even more.

"I may not have seen her since high school but I know Joy and she wouldn't do that, Jeff has obviously taken advantage of the poor girl and released the sex tape to trigger Trish!" Torrie replied convinced with her theory.

"He didn't released the sex tape!" Trish replied sick of Torrie slandering Jeff's name.

"How would you know?" Torrie scoffed.

"Because I was with him when the sex tape was released!" Trish yelled louder than expected which caused the whole room to stare and gasp at the revelation of Jeff and Trish being in each other's company again, the hall filled with whispers as Trish instantly regretted revealing the news that Jeff had been with her, her agreement with the McMahons was on the line.

"Why would you be with him?!" Torrie gasped as everybody waited for Trish to respond.

Trish froze unable to say anything.

"I went by her penthouse to apologise for everything I had done to her and to send my condolences about the miscarriage and her relationship with Shane…" Jeff began. "I was told in rehab to make amends with people in my past… and I wanted her to know I was truly sorry."

"Oh convenient that you just happened to pass by when her relationship ended and she was once again vulnerable to your charms!" Torrie gasped.

"Torrie stop it!" Trish snapped.

"Why do you always want to see the good in him when he has shown you so many times before why he can't be trusted!" Torrie howled in disbelief.

"That's enough Torrie…" Stephanie replied bluntly, her face warning Torrie not to continue this discussion. "...I know it's hard to believe that your BFF has turned into a fame seeking slut but it's the truth and if you don't mind leaving both Trish and Jeff out of your arguments they would both really appreciate it."

"But-" Torrie began before getting cut off.

"Listen to me Torrie Wilson… they both had enough stress over the last few months between rehab and miscarriages, the last thing they need is to explain themselves to an anorexic, dumb model who thinks she's Sherlock Holmes." Stephanie warned her tone growing tired of Torrie's embarrassment. "Now if they can try to be civil with one another I suggest you do the same… now go… why are still stood here? Don't make Trish find a new face of StratusFashion..."

Torrie sulked as she stormed off into the crowd, the eyes of their high school peers still fixed on the remaining four people who were involved in the heated discussion.

"Alright folks, shows over, you can get back to fronting and exaggerating how much you all love your life when 90% of you are depressed, being cheated on, about to get fired or in so much debt you'll be paying it off when you're in an old folks home because your family don't care about you enough to even wipe your ass…" Chris announced to the hall.

"Niiice…" Stephanie smirked at Chris's mean comment as the rest of the crowd set off into their own conversations and the classical music started to play once again in the background.

Chris returned the comment with a friendly smile before turning away from Stephanie and walking into the crowd to mingle, Stephanie couldn't help but frown as she watched him walk away.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff without saying a word stormed off outside the hall. The words of Torrie had knocked his confidence, believing what she was saying had truth behind it. Was he good enough for Trish? Was he any good at all? What if something was to happen and they would end up hating each other? What if… after what if…. After what if… running around in his mind.

"Hardy…" Trish sighed as she ran after him.

Jeff ignored her as he continued to storm down the halls. Trish trotting behind him walking as fast as she could in her high heels.

"Hardy!" Trish shouted after him. "Hardy wait! Where are you going? Hardy!"

Jeff turned round as he threw his hands in the air. "I'm going home… and when I say home… I mean JBL's…"

"Why what's wrong with you…" Trish pleaded as she walked over to the obviously angered man. "Please…"

"What's the point in me staying with you?" Jeff shrugged. "I mean not even at this stupid reunion, I mean at yours, what's the point…"

"Hardy please don't say that…" Trish sighed. "You don't even need me to explain the point… you already know…"

"I'm just going to bring you down Trish… I always have done…" Jeff sighed.

"You're the one who brings me up!" Trish insisted. "I don't know what I would've done without you these last few weeks, you've got through to me at a time not even my best friends were able too, you've made me smile when I didn't think I'd ever smile again…"

"You don't need me…" Jeff replied weakly.

"Yes I do…" Trish exclaimed. "Please don't let what Torrie said get into your head, don't let the opinions of what anyone says get into your head, you are everything I need and more, you have shown me why I fell in love with you in the first place and I was beginning to forget…"

Jeff lifted his gaze from the floor to catch Trish's hazel eyes, he seen how the thought of him leaving made her eyes glazed with sorrow. She gave him a small, timid smile unaware of what the enigma would do next but was pleasantly surprised when he picked her up in his arms as they began to look into each other's souls intensely. "I just don't want you to regret me…"

"I don't regret you and I never will!" Trish spoke softly, their faces inches away from each other as their gaze never wathered. The line reminded her of the night she lost her virginity to the enigma in the back of her mother's limousine, a spur of the moment decision which was special in the heart of the blonde - it wasn't in a hotel room with rose petals, candles and a romantic dinner for two. It was real, a moment she wouldn't do over.

"Always and forever darlin…" Jeff smiled as he leaned in slowly, the two began to lock lips, passionate yet soft, heated but steady. The type of kiss that for a moment, you believe that there's nobody else in the world. They slowly pulled apart as Jeff applied another kiss to the forehead of Trish.

"So please don't scare me like that again… ok?" Trish looked sadly at her feet.

"I won't…" Jeff reassured Trish. "So... do we have to go back in?"

"Well you did keep your promise you've turned up…" Trish shrugged. "I'm going to go back inside but you should go, people will probably get suspicious if we both walk in together…"

As the reunited couple went their separate ways - Jeff towards the school exit and Trish turning back to the hall, both unaware that they had been spotted and filmed by an unexpected follower.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie stood in the reunion as she noticed Chris in the crowd, mingling and socialising. The words Trish said to her previously had the brunette thinking, his actions or lack of proved to confirm Trish's theory that he was going to let her go.

As waiters and waitresses began to parade around the room with entrees, nibbles and refreshments. Stephanie couldn't help but notice a certain someone who was serving the former students. "Hunter?" A surprised Stephanie raised an eyebrow, shocked to see Hunter in a waiter outfit. "What are you doing?"

"Ahh, Ms McMahon…" Hunter smiled. "How you doing Steph…"

"More like what are you doing?" Steph asked. "In a waiters uniform?"

"No security firm in town is going to hire me, your father has me blacklisted for trying to help you expose Shane…" Hunter explained. "It's fine… this is just temporary… I'm thinking of moving from New York anyway…"

Stephanie couldn't help but feel disheartened by the news Hunter was thinking of moving away from New York, he had been become a friend she could rely on. Despite not knowing the man for long, she couldn't imagine him not being there to help her.

"I'm sorry… it's all my fault…" Stephanie apologised sincerely, a sight that you didn't see often.

"No I had a choice to make and I made the right one, what Shane was doing and what he did… it's not right… I wouldn't change my decision to help you…" Hunter smiled genuinely.

Stephanie and Hunter smiled at each other as she surprised him by giving him a friendly hug, which was spotted across the room by Chris. "Thank you for everything Hunter…" Stephanie smiled as they seperated from the hug.

"I'll see you around…" Hunter smiled and nodded before returning to his job.

"I hope so…" Stephanie whispered to herself as he walked away.

Stephanie knew she needed to help Hunter get back on his feet, he had it nice working for her father, he had an extremely good wage, security, he had a nice life until she came in and got him involved in her scheming. She would help him and she wouldn't let him move from New York. She needed to figure out a plan.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As Trish returned to the reunion, she wasn't surprised to see everybody staring and talking about her. She rolled her eyes realising somethings don't get left in high school, while walking in she was surprised to see Melina walking towards her, she wore a black dress which didn't really flatter her and she looked different - not the usual, well groomed Melina who never had a hair out of place.

"Hey Trish…" Melina smiled, although Trish could see she looked unhappy. "I just wanted to say that I heard about the miscarriage and your break up with Shane… I'm really sorry you had to go through that…"

"Shit happens right?" Trish smiled sadly as she wanted to reveal it all to Melina but she knew now wasn't the right time, she also knew Dave wouldn't be too far behind her and wanted to make sure she was okay before he would pull her lead away from him. "How you doing Melina?"

Melina was about to open her mouth when as predicted Dave found himself next to Melina's side, his arm around her waist territorial. "If it isn't Trish Stratus…" Dave grinned maliciously. "Are you trying to poison my beautiful, loyal girlfriend's mind against me again?"

"No I was just saying how much she is missed at work and how I wish she would consider coming back…" Trish smiled sadly at Melina hoping she would.

"My woman won't be working… she doesn't need to work that hard… I'll pay for her to do whatever she wants to do… whatever clothes she wants… whatever food…" Dave answered on behalf of Melina.

"That doesn't sound like the Melina I know…" Trish raised an eyebrow at Dave.

"I guess you don't know her anymore…" Dave replied smugly.

"We should get going, I only popped by to show my face…" Melina said as she looked down at her feet. "And just so you know Trish there's no hard feelings, I understand… you were trying to look out for me…"

Trish nodded as Dave guided Melina away to the exit as Trish watched him whisper something into her ear as the couple disappeared. Her stomach dropped at the control he had over her, the emotional and possible physical abuse she could be receiving. The fact it sounds like she will be relying on him for money as he convinces her she doesn't need a job. All signs of a control freak.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Chris…" Stephanie called out to her former lover who hadn't said a word to her since the whole time she had been at the reunion, he turned around, appearing civil.

"You okay Steph?" Chris replied nonchalantly.

"You've not said a word to me since you've been here…" Stephanie looked down at her feet as she noticed Chris not making long lasting eye contact.

"What do you want me to say Steph? I'm tired of going round in circles with you…" Chris shrugged, he looked drained from the situation which didn't go unnoticed by Stephanie.

"Yeah I know I was hoping we could at least be friends?" Stephanie offered.

"We were never friends to begin with…" Chris stated. "But I will be civil with you… but you gotta understand I'm trying to get over you…"

The words cut like a dagger through the brunettes heart but she knew she had nobody else to blame for his actions and behaviour towards her.

"...so you can't expect me to be happy to see you… but I'll try." Chris offered.

"I guess you're right…" Stephanie coughed away her emotions as she placed a civil smile on her lips. "Well if you could just do one last thing for me I'd really appreciate it?"

"Depends what it is?" Chris replied.

"Hunter lost his job when he helped us try and take down Shane and expose him, I was wondering if you're dad was maybe hiring… he's a great guy… I understand if you don't really want too or if there's not vacancies but I'm the reason he hasn't got his job anymore so I thought I could try and help him so he doesn't have to move away…" Stephanie explained.

Chris couldn't help but feel annoyed at Stephanie asking him to help Hunter, he had grew jealous of the man ever since he seen the way him and Stephanie were around each other. "Why can't he just get a security job somewhere else?" Chris frowned.

"My dad's blacklisted him, the only person who isn't scared of my dad, is yours…" Stephanie explained. "Look I know it's really rude of me to come and ask you for a favour-"

"I'll see… send me his number…" Chris replied.

"Thanks Jericho…" Stephanie smiled gratefully.

Chris nodded. "I'll see you around Steph…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Trish Stratus…" A familiar voice that Trish hadn't heard since high school called out to her.

"John Cena…" Trish smiled at the charming man in front of her, he looked the same as high school, well built, well groomed and the captivating smile that took so many girls breathe away. Trish and John went in for a friendly hug, despite them both losing contact with each other - they were once a huge part of each others lives. "It's really good to see you…"

"You're like a fine wine… you get better with age… how is that even possible?" John spoke with an alluring tone. "I'm sorry about your relationship ending, the miscarriage, I heard all about it, to be honest I didn't think you would make an appearance tonight… that's probably the reason I'm not surprised to see you… you never did do what people expect you to do…"

"Yes well… can't hide away forever…" Trish replied weakly before clearing her throat to change the subject. "So how's life for Mr John Cena?"

"You know… right on track…" John chuckled as they both knew their parents plans for each other.

"So if I remember correctly, by 23 you should've become a lawyer?" Trish squinted her eyes as she tried to remember how her life would've been with John Cena.

"Yes… I actually reached that deadline a year early…" John laughed.

"So let me guess you're being groomed by your father so that in a few years you can run for congress? Is that right?" Trish asked.

"You don't forget anything do you…" John chuckled.

"Not when it has been drilled into my head from the age of 10…" Trish let out a tenuous giggle.

"Well you could've had it all with me Trish…" John half-joked. "You're the one that left me for that rebel… you could've had it all.. Any regrets?"

Trish smiled as she looked back on her life since her breakup with John, the ups and downs she had occurred, the painful moments, the glee she had felt, the range of tense emotions she never felt when she was with John - sure they were stable and he wasn't a bad boyfriend but she always felt everything ten times more with Jeff; good or bad.

Trish shook her head in response to John's question. "No... I've got somewhere I need to go John… I'll see you around…"

John looked disheartened when he seen Trish walk off out the door, he would always have a soft spot for the blonde, even though he knew they weren't right for each other, sometimes he did wish things could've been different between them.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish walked into her penthouse, the lights were dim as she heard, one of Jeff's love song's playing in the background, a path of rose petals leading her to a candle lit dinner. Jeff stood in front of the table with a bouquet of pink and white lilies in his hand while he still wore his blazer.

"What are you doing?" Trish laughed in disbelief as what she was seeing.

" I wanted to do something special for you, since I can't take you out in public, this is what I came up with…" Jeff announced. "Well I had help of Amy…"

"What's all this for I really don't understand?" Trish chuckled in disbelief as she took the bouquet and began to smell the lilies, her favourite flowers which he had remembered after all this time.

"I don't deserve a second chance with you, I don't know how somebody like you ever gave me the time of day, I messed it up last time and I nearly messed it up before because of a stupid comment made by one of your dumb high school friends…" Jeff explained. "Sorry I didn't mean to call your friend dumb…"

"She's a bit slow…" Trish agreed. "Dumb sounds mean though…"

Jeff chuckled as he took a step closer to Trish who was still mesmerised by the lilies.

"My point is Trish… I want you to be happy… I think I make you happy but I want to make you happier… I want you to forget about all the pain you've felt and I'm going to prove to you and everyone else that this time we're not letting each other go…" Jeff smiled.

"Jeff you don't have to do all this to make me happy…" Trish responded. "Don't get me wrong this is beautiful and so thoughtful… but I'm happiest when we're just sat together, watching a movie or when your playing your stupid games on your phone and I'm reading a magazine, I'm happiest just being in your company… or even just these lilies… I can't believe you remember these are my favourite flowers after all this time…"

"I remember everything…" Jeff shrugged proudly.

"Favourite film?" Trish quizzed.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" Jeff responded quickly.

"Favourite color?" Trish quizzed.

"Black." Jeff chuckled quickly.

"Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe?" Trish quizzed.

"Trick question, you love them both for different reasons…" Jeff wiggled his eyebrows knowingly. "Face it Stratus, I know you… sometimes better than you know yourself…"

Trish smiled at Jeff as she placed her arms around his neck. "I guess you do…"

As the song continued to play in the background, Jeff began to sing along to his own lyrics that he sung to Trish when he first went on tour with Team Xtreme. A song he normally doesn't play at concerts anymore but has serenaded to Trish a million times before.

The two gazed into one another's eyes as Jeff began to sing his lyrics to Trish and they swayed gently to the music.

" _I'm so in love with you_

 _And I hope you know_

 _Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

 _We've come so far my dear_

 _Look how we've grown_

 _And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _I wanna live with you_

 _Even when we're ghosts_

 _'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most_

 _I'm gonna love you till_

 _My lungs give out_

 _I promise till death we part like in our vows_

 _So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows_

 _Finally it's just you and me till we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go"_

 ** _A/N - READ AND REVIEW, IF YOU COULD ANSWER WHETHER YOU PREFER STEPH &HUNTER OR STEPH&CHRIS? THANKS FOR READING :)_**


	20. Consequences

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **A/N - THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS, I LOVE TO READ THEM, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, THERE'S SOME ADULT THEMES IN THIS CHAPTER AND I'VE NEVER WROTE AN INTIMATE SCENE BEFORE SO IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST BUT BE NICE! AS USUAL READ & REVIEW, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. **

' _After a recent video posted by OverTheEdge has surfaced on the internet, the world is going crazy to find out what is going on between CEO of StratusFashion / America's Sweetheart Trish Stratus and Rockstar / Recovering Addict Jeff Hardy… the former couple were filmed kissing after reportedly attending their high school reunion, the two are known for their very public break up which took place two years ago and with the recent break up due to an unfortunate miscarriage between Trish and the future heir of McMahon Corporations Shane McMahon does this mean Trish is mending her broken heart by going back to an old flame? I'm Gail Kim and I'm reporting for NewsOfAmerica…'_

"This is a nightmare…" John Stratus shook his head as he switched off the TV in Trish's penthouse to find Trish and Jeff staring at the floor. The three sat on Trish's corner suite as her father came over as soon as he had seen the news. "The McMahons want to meet to discuss the terms to our agreement and they do not sound happy!"

"Daddy…" Trish called to her father with puppy dog eyes. "I'm so sorry… I don't know who took this video I swear nobody was around!"

"How could you be so stupid to even talk in public, never mind kiss!" John replied furiously. "I swear to god Patricia I don't understand why you can never take the easy route!"

"How would you know!" Trish hissed back annoyed by the comment made by her estranged father. "You can't tell me what route I take when you've barely been in my life since you and mom divorced!"

"It's complicated… I wanted to be here… I'm here now… to bail you out of this mess…" John replied softly hearing the hurt in his daughter's voice. "I'm just not sure what to do about this now, the McMahons can go back on their deal altogether…"

"Well let them…" Jeff shrugged. "Shane isn't going to hurt you anymore, not while I'm around."

"It's not as easy as that son…" John sighed as he placed his hands in his head. "You both stay in here, the paparazzi are surrounding this place and the last thing you need to be seen together… _again._ "

"I have to go to work…" Trish reminded her father. "...you know my multi-million dollar business that I had to build from the bottom up because the woman who carried me in her stomach for nine months sold her company?"

"No you don't, I spoke to Stephanie and she is covering for you, she's a very good friend you must treat her for the amount of unpaid work she has been doing on your behalf!" John nodded as he picked himself up off of the sofa.

John picked up his blazer for his suit as he placed a kiss on his daughter's head and walked to the elevator. Trish and Jeff looked at each other, they couldn't believe somebody had videoed them at the reunion and sent it into OverTheEdge… they were so sure nobody was around.

"I'm so sorry Trish…" Jeff sighed. "This is my fault… I'm the one who kissed you!"

"Don't be sorry…" Trish smiled at Jeff. "It was a really good kiss… definitely worth it."

"What do you think this is going to mean? Do you think Shane will come back to New York?" Jeff asked as Trish rested her head on his shoulder while they both stared out into the city of New York.

"I honestly do not know…" Trish sighed at the thought of coming face to face with that monster.

"That bastard will never hurt you while I'm around…" Jeff stated matter-of-factly as his arm rested around Trish. "I will die before I let anything like that ever happen to you again…"

Trish moved her head from Jeff's shoulder onto his chest as she wrapped her arms around his body and cuddled tightly into him, listening to his steady heartbeat as he ran his fingers gently through her hair, smelling the scent of apples in her blonde mane from her new shampoo. Right there in that moment, despite the potential danger she was about to face - she felt safe.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy, Matt, JBL and Jillian sat in the townhouse at they watched the morning news, surprised to see the video of Trish and Jeff had gone viral and had made headlines. The problem with having fame was everybody wanted to know your personal business. Amy felt her anger build up, she was sick of Adam and sick of him meddling in the lives of others to gain profit and improve his profile. Most importantly, the people she cared about including mostly Trish and Jeff.

The redhead shook her head as she jumped up off of the sofa, causing JBL, Matt and Jillian to look shocked as she went over to where her leather jacket was hung up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Matt asked sternly.

"I'm giving that jackass a piece of mind!" Amy replied with a fire in her belly.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Jillian commented calmly, hoping to calm the redhead down.

"Now Amy, this is not going to solve any of this!" JBL spoke his words of wisdom. "You're just going to add more fuel to the fire and you know it!"

"It will make me feel better…" Amy responded nonchalantly.

"You're not going…" Matt replied bluntly.

"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore." Amy replied bitterly as she stuck her leather jacket over her dark blue skinny jeans and white vest top as she stormed out of the townhouse leaving the rest of the occupants in shock.

Matt was furious at the thought of Amy and Adam being in the same room together.

"She's a big woman son, she can make her own choices…" JBL shrugged.

"Don't I know it…" Matt sighed.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Hunter sat in the lobby of the Codebreaker, he was surprised when he had received a phone call of Chris Jericho late last night asking him to come to his father's hotel first thing in the morning. He wasn't sure what it was regarding, he wasn't sure about the context of the meeting but he was intrigued and Hunter didn't plan on passing on the opportunity. Hunter was casual in his dark jeans and black shirt but still looked smart enough to be taken serious - he didn't know the reason for the strange encounter after all.

"Mr Helmsley…" Chris called out as he looked at Hunter and shook his hand firmly. "Thank you for taking the time to come and meet me on such short notice."

Hunter returned the firm handshake with a tight grip as he nodded. "Not a problem."

"Please if you would follow me and we can discuss the purpose of my call." Chris nodded as he began to lead Hunter into the elevator and pressed the floor number which held conferences and events. The two stood in the elevator, both were proud men and kept their head up high as Chris tapped his finger to the elevator music in the background. The elevator finally arrived at the floor as Chris followed by Hunter walked down the corridor to a big room with a long table which was obviously made to hold business meetings and conferences.

"Please take a seat…" Chris indicated to any of the seats located at the long table. "Are you thirsty? Would you like a beverage? Perhaps some water?"

"No thanks…" Hunter replied as he sat a few seats down from Chris who finally sat down at the top of the table.

Chris was acting incredibly professional, he was after all going to take over for his father one day, he didn't think it would be any time soon, he believed Ted Jericho would outlive him. Hunter found it strange to see Chris in this environment, perhaps most people would find it strange. The playboy billionaire who punched Shane McMahon and lived for stripper parties actually knew how to look the part when he needed to.

"So to what reason did you call my number last night?" Hunter asked interrupting the silence. "How did you get my number?"

"I will give you three guesses…" Chris replied sarcastically, the first time since being in Hunter's presence that he actually broke his professional persona before clearing his throat and returning to his polished tone. "Mr Helmsley… I understand recently you have been released from McMahon Corporations… a little _birdy_ told me you have also been blacklisted from other companies in your field because of a certain McMahon…"

"Your little _birdy_ would be correct…" Hunter nodded in agreement.

"Well we would like to let you know that Jericho & Co… we would be more than happy to offer you employment, being under the influence of the McMahons for so long we understand you will be more than qualified and have the skills needed to excel here under Jericho employment." Jericho said as he made eye contact with Hunter.

"What does your father think about this job offer? Surely he would be a bit suspicious to find an employee of a McMahon switching sides after my loyalty to Vince after all these years…" Hunter questioned.

"Under normal circumstances… yes… my father and I would agree we wouldn't give the opportunity… however as I know the personal circumstances and what pushed you to take leave from McMahon Corporations… it would be a great loss on our part if we wasn't to take advantage of this unique situation." Chris replied with a slick edge to his tone.

"So tell me is this because Stephanie asked you or is this because you genuinely believe I would be an asset to this company?" Hunter raised an eyebrow bluntly.

"Honestly… a bit of both…" Chris replied. "Yes, Stephanie raised the idea with myself but after thinking it over I think it would be a wise business move… you would have to work your way up through the company of course… prove yourself and your loyalty to Jericho as you did with McMahon but it will be returned once proven and let's be honest if you want to stay in New York what other options would you have?"

"I would've thought you would want me out of New York… get me out the way…" Hunter chuckled as the boundaries between professional and personal were about to get crossed. "...you know because of your relationship with your little _birdy_ …"

"Look Hunter… let's cut the bullshit… personally I think you're a bit of an ass… but I can respect that and I've seen your loyalty to Vince I can think Jericho & Co can benefit for it as for the personal aspect to this… as for Stephanie she means nothing to me… we have no relationship." Chris stated matter-of-factly. "Now it's up to you, I will let you think about it… I'll call you tonight hopefully that will be enough time for you to make a decision."

"I will consider your proposal Jericho…" Hunter replied as he picked himself up of the chair. "Thank you for your time and consideration…"

Chris nodded as he picked himself up of the chair and the two shook hands firmly.

As Chris lead Hunter to the door, to see him out. Hunter stopped and turned around to face his love rival and potential future boss. "We're just friends you know… me and Steph."

"That's more than I can say about us…" Chris replied as he regarded the last conversation he had with the brunette that he had somehow fallen in love with. "Now this is a business decision and nothing about our personal life will affect this decision."

Hunter nodded before leaving the function room. Chris was jealous of Hunter and Stephanie's relationship, he was jealous of their friendship - simply because they were so different to how Steph and Jericho were with each other. Whether it was simply platonic (which he didn't believe) the young playboy billionaire knew that they were something that Chris and Steph had never been before - they were 'friends'.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As Amy's taxi dropped her outside of OverTheEdge headquarters, it felt weird to return to Brooklyn the place she had grew up. It was crazy how somebody she thought she knew very well, a man she would class as a best friend would grow up to spread so much gossip and venom on people's name and people's lives.

The redhead stormed straight up to the floor that OverTheEdge occupied in the building and darted straight past the blonde receptionist.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Hi do you have an appointment?" Beth Phoenix, Adam's receptionist called to the redhead polite yet stern.

"No." Amy replied bluntly.

"Well I'm sorry Adam is very busy today so unfortunately you will have to come back another time." Beth smiled smugly as she grabbed Amy by her arm to escort her away from Adam's office.

"If you don't let go off my arm, unfortunately I'm going to have to break your nose." Amy warned with a patronising smile. "Now I suggest you go and let your boss know that Amy Dumas is here to see I am… I'm pretty sure he won't turn me away."

Beth raised an eyebrow at the redhead, automatically taken a disliking to her, she had never heard of Amy - she didn't know much about Adam's personal life, yet there was something about the redhead which made her believe the two had some sort of history. She had no idea how right she was.

"Excuse me red?" Beth replied with a sassy tone. "If you don't leave I will have to tell security to escort you out of the building…"

The whole office was looking at the two females as they all were gobsmacked by the commotion, OverTheEdge was a laid back office which never had this sort of drama.

Amy began to bang on the office door, despite Beth's threats to call security.

"Right that's it…" Beth exclaimed as she went back over to her desk.

Adam opened the door to his office, shock on his face evident as he seen the redhead stood in front of him. "Amy? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry Adam… I'm getting security now…" Beth announced.

"No it's fine Miss Phoenix… she's an old friend…" Adam replied.

Beth frowned at the comment made by Adam as Amy threw a smug smile in the blonde's direction before following Adam in his office.

"Everybody get back to work!" Adam demanded as he turned the music up in the office as he knew this conversation wouldn't be a quiet one by the look of rage in Amy's eyes. Adam closed and locked the door behind him as he sat in his chair comfortably and slightly arrogant.

Amy chose to stay stood up as she began to wave her arms in frustration. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you post the sex tape? Why would you leak the video of Jeff and Trish kissing? Why have you got to make a living out of other people's lives!"

"I refuse to have this discussion with you again Amy… you have made it quite clear your opinion of my business…" Adam replied unfazed by the fuming red head. "Now if that's all…"

Adam stood up as he signalled his arms in the direction of the door, his nose in the air which infuriated Amy even more as she stepped up to him and poked him in the chest.

"You're scum!" Amy sneered. "In fact you're worse than scum! Do you have no morals!?"

"You're not really one to talk about morals are you!" Adam chuckled maliciously.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Amy scowled.

"You know exactly what that means… you cheated on your boyfriend with me… you spent the night with me after I confessed my feelings for you… you kicked me out in the morning and went back to live a lie with your boyfriend… the thing is you didn't just break his heart… you broke mine as well… you know what I realised that day… that nobody cares about anybody but themselves… so I thought fuck it why should I care?" Adam replied calmly. "You can say you hate me but you made me like this!"

"Oh so now you're blaming me…" Amy scoffed in disbelief. "We slept together one time when we were 18 and you're still using that as an excuse as to why you're such an ass hole!"

"I loved you Amy!" Adam raised his voice as he threw his arms in the air. "Do you not realise that, I really loved you and the thing is I think you always knew, you always knew how I felt about you and you just played on it… like you're playing on it now… but you know I'm not falling for your little act anymore…"

"This isn't an act this is people's lives!" Amy exclaimed

"And it was my life but you didn't care because you're a heartless slut!" Adam said with venom on his tongue.

Amy couldn't believe what she was hearing, the venom in his words, the disgust on his face. As an instant reaction the word he had just called, she picked her arm up and used her hand to slap him in his face leaving a red handprint on his face.

Adam took the slap as the two stared at each other, anger in both their eyes, their stare became intense as Adam crashed his lips into hers, to his surprise she returned the kiss as things got heated very quickly. The two quickly began undressing each other as Amy threw him on his desk, throwing the contents of the desk on the floor. As Adam pulled down Amy's pants and Amy unbuckled his, she threw herself on top of him as the two put their differences aside for a moment of passion and lust.

Once the pair had finished taking their anger out, Amy felt instant regret as she pushed herself of Adam and quickly put her jeans back on.

Adam began to laugh. "You running away again?"

Amy scowled at him as she finally fixed herself up and stormed straight over to the owner of OverTheEdge. She placed her finger in his face. "You make me sick…"

"I learnt from the best…" He smiled back at the redhead who stormed out of the office.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

With Jeff and Trish forced to stay inside her penthouse, the two spent most of the day lounging on the sofa together. They were watching a movie which was probably not the best film to watch in Trish's current anxious state, the movie was called 'The Perfect Guy' the storyline was about a girl who breaks up with her boyfriend and while she's heartbroken she meets a charming man who turns out to be an aggressive psychopath and even begins to stalk her. Halfway through the movie as the lead lady rekindles her love with her ex boyfriend who she broke up with in the beginning, her psychotic new flame is angered, leading him to kill his love rival.

Trish flinched as she watched the scene, imagining what could happen to Jeff in a worst case scenario. Jeff noticed the anxious look on her face as she hides into his chest, unable to continue to watch the movie.

"Are you scared? It's just a movie…" Jeff chuckled as he hugged the blonde who had turned her face away. "I'll turn it off…"

"What if that was to happen to you?" Trish replied, her voice muffled as her face was still dug into his chest. The blonde raised her head to make eye contact with her love as Jeff paused the television. "If anything was to happen to you Hardy… especially because of me… I don't know what I'd do… I don't think I could go live with myself…"

"Trish…" Jeff raised his eyebrows to emphasise. "It's just a movie… it was probably just a wrong choice of movie to watch at this moment of time.. Nothing's going to happen to me…"

"How do you know?" Trish waled. "You seen what Shane is capable off…"

"And if it comes down to me having to protect you…" Jeff warned, a serious look in his eye as he placed his thumb at the side of her chin. "...he doesn't want to see what I'm capable off…"

Trish looked down while Jeff still had hold her chin. "Look at me…" he said softly.

The blonde lifted her gaze to meet Jeff's emerald eyes.

"...this going to be a long distant memory one day." Jeff announced with a comforting smile.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had just listened to your cry for help that day in Vegas…" Trish admitted as Jeff finally moved his thumb from her chin and placed a hand on her thigh. "...you told me you would come to New York and you would go to rehab, I wonder what if I did take you up on that offer, what if I could've just cut the last two years out of my life, where we would be now…"

Jeff looked down as he imagined what life would've been like if she had took him up on his offer.

"...what would've happened if I just told you that I was pregnant…" Trish replied timidly.

It hurt for Trish to get rid of his baby, it was probably the most horrid thing she had ever admitted to him in the time they had been in each other's lives. He would've loved to have a baby with her, become a father and have a child with the woman he would always love and could never be replaced.

"Look you can't think like that…" Jeff smiled sadly. "...who knows where we would've been, we'll never know but we've grown apart to grow back together now that sounds better than growing together to grow apart?"

Trish couldn't help but feel reassured by Jeff's wise words. "When did you get so philosophical?"

"Ric Flair…" Jeff rolled his eyes as Trish raised an eyebrow. "My mentor in rehab. He drilled a lot in my head in the month that I stayed there…"

"What was rehab like?" Trish asked, the two had been so concerned with Trish's life in the last few months she hadn't had the time to properly discuss Jeff's life.

"It was…" Jeff began to look for words to explain the crazy experience he called rehab. "Not as bad as I thought… I just needed to get used to it… let my guard down… give it a real chance y'know?"

"Well I'm sure he would be proud if he could see you now…" Trish grinned as she placed her soft hand on his well-structured cheek bone. "I know I am…"

"It's better late than never right?" Jeff chuckled awkwardly, remembering his reckless behaviour.

"You give yourself such a hard time but we wasn't always so messed up…" Trish reminded him. "I fell in love with you for a reason and I stayed in love with you for the same reason…"

Trish used her hand to pull Jeff's face slowly towards her and placed a tender kiss on his lips. The kiss began to deepen, staying at a steady pace.

Trish climbed on top of Jeff, his hands groping her voluptuous curves gently as he placed soft kisses on her neck. Trish helped to take Jeff's shirt off of him as she threw it across the room and she began to return the kisses she had received as she placed her lips on his ear, lightly nibbling around his piercings as she placed her hands on the back of his neck. Her nerves began to set in, the excitement kicking in because of their reunion, the female couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach as things began to get heated.

"Trish…" Jeff moaned causing the blonde to stop as he cupped her face in his hands, their eyes locked onto each as they gazed into each other's soul. "We don't have to rush back into this..."

Trish smiled as she pulled her oversized t shirt over her head gradually, revealing her bare breasts and black, lace french knickers… Trish smiled shyly as if it was the first time she had been like this with him. It had been such a long time since she had felt his touch, his passion, the electricity they felt when they connected had stayed in her mind despite the two years they spent apart.

Jeff gazed over her hourglass figure, mesmerized by her curves. It had been such a long time since he had seen her bare skin. He admired her exposed body before he locked onto her hazel eyes, his favourite feature of all. Their tongues crashed together once more, as their kiss deepened growing more passionate with every touch, it became more and more intoxicating as they captured the taste of each other. Jeff began to trace his hands around the contour of her body, placing soft kisses along her collar bone before he began to kiss down her torso. Trish moved her body closer to his leaving no distance between them as she enjoyed the touch of his hands caressing her body, a touch she had longed for since the day they parted ways.

They pressed their bodies against each other, her chest intertwined with his as they continued their steamy make out session. Jeff picked her up in his arms, as he delicately placed her on her back and the charismatic enigma now began to take control - his body on top of hers as she pulled down his sweatpants, he began to gently suck on her neck, the perfect mixture of force and care. Her hands traced his back as she began to moan lightly, taking in every touch and tingle she began to feel. Embracing the long awaited reunion.

The heated adrenaline began to take control of their bodies, Trish looked at him with her desirous hazel eyes as she began to crave him, Stephanie was wrong - she no longer believed that she was Jeff's drug rather that he was her drug. The one thing in the world that she couldn't give up, he was her personal brand of heroin and she was having an extreme relapse.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy found herself in Central Park after her recent encounter with Adam - she couldn't explain where the moment had come from and she couldn't believe she had sex with him after everything he had done to Trish and Jeff in recent weeks. Her emotions were in turmoil, she tried to analyse how she got herself in the situation, how she didn't have the willpower to say no or pull away from him. What had she done?

Her head was all over the place as she began to feel regret, she imagined what Matt would think about her if he knew she had slept with Adam once again. She knew they weren't together and he had made it clear they weren't getting back together yet she had crossed the line once again, she knew if he was to ever find out he would be broken.

As the park began to fill with people cutting through the park after work, she knew she would have to go back to JBL's and face Matt, Jillian and JBL. They would ask her questions that she wouldn't know how to answer, she was stuck with a dilemma - tell Matt the truth which could result in him losing what little respect he had left for her or tell Matt nothing and it come back to haunt her. It was a sticky situation, sure she wasn't his girlfriend, he had made that clear… if she was to sleep with another guy, it's none of his business… but it was Adam. The one person that could trigger Matt's hatred towards her.

"Oh my god Amy!" A voice caught her attention, disrupting her train of thought.

Amy was surprised to recognise the brunette female that she had met during her brief time at the looney bin. "Mickie?" Amy gasped.

"It's been a while… you literally just disappeared from the Sisters of Benevolence!" Mickie chuckled as she embraced Amy in an overly friendly hug. "We was all worried about you, there was rumours that you escaped!"

"Yeah I kinda did…" Amy shrugged. "I paid the price for it… what are you doing here?"

"I got out of the sisters and I've got a job here in New York…" Mickie nodded. "...things seem to be looking up for me!"

Amy met Mickie briefly when Dave threw her in the madhouse, she never quite found out why Mickie had been put in there, most of the time she was enthusiastic, happy and very bubbly yet one time she witnessed Mickie have a severe meltdown - it slightly scared her.

"Well I'm glad to hear it…" Amy replied politely.

"We should totally meet up one time!" Mickie grinned.

'Not a chance you psycho bitch…' Amy thought to herself but returned the comment with an affable smile. "Yeah that would be nice… I really should be getting going… look after yourself."

Amy got away from the brunette as soon as she could, she had seen Mickie's mental breakdown in the sisters and she really had an evil streak inside her that Amy would prefer to not involve herself with, she also tried to leave any memory of her time with the sisters of benevolence to the deepest, darkest corners of her mind. Mickie scrunched her face as she noticed how rude Amy had been to her, feeling slightly insulted at her swift exit.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff and Trish lay naked as a blanket covered them on the sofa, the blonde bombshell rested her head on Jeff's chest as he stroked her hair attentively. The two had been sitting in silence since their reunion had ended. Jeff began to worry that maybe Trish had changed her mind and started to regret them making love, he began to worry that he should've had more willpower to stop her, he knew she was an emotional mess in recent weeks and didn't need the complications of sex added to the list.

"Your hearts starting to beat faster…." Trish broke the silence as she felt Jeff's steady heartbeat increase in speed. "...what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about us… I'm thinking about what just happened…. I'm thinking about you and how you are feeling… I just don't want you-" Jeff explained before getting cut off.

Trish turned her head to look at her love as she placed a finger on his lips, already expecting to know the ending of Jeff's sentence. "I don't regret it… I don't regret you… I don't regret any of this… I don't know how many more times I have to say it…"

Jeff couldn't help but let out a relieved smile.

"...I mean do you regret it?" Trish finished her sentence with a nerve-wracking question. If he said yes, she didn't know what she would do.

"Not a chance." Jeff replied quickly. "You're the only woman for me Trish Stratus."

As Jeff confirmed the words he felt from his soul, the two cuddle as their bond was stronger than ever through the recent exchange of sexual energy. The moment they shared being intimate, they knew that there was nothing else like it in the world, both sat feeling grateful, that despite everything they had been through, they managed to make their love count for something. The two lovers knew that they weren't going to let it slip through their fingers, not again.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy arrived at the townhouse, she felt guilt - which she had no reason to feel as she didn't do anything wrong. She wasn't with Matt and they had agreed to just be friends yet she knew the recent rendezvous in Adam's office was going to hurt him. She took a deep breathe as she opened the door to find Matt on the sofa, alone with no sign of his uncle or aunt-in-law.

"They went out for date night…" Matt said as he noticed Amy scan the room for the couple. "Did you give Adam a piece of your mind?"

Amy nodded sheepishly. "Yeah…"

"Did it make you feel better?" Matt asked as he raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

Amy shook her head, defeated. "No…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie had been busy helping Trish's company while she was put on house arrest by her father. The brunette didn't mind helping Trish when she needed somebody to fill in for her and nobody knew business like a McMahon. The working day had come to an end but Stephanie found herself staying later to help Trish by doing tasks that didn't need to be done yet.

The brunette's phone began to ring, her blue eyes looked at caller ID to find Hunter ringing her.

"Hellooooo?" Stephanie sang down the phone enthusiastically.

"Hey Steph…" Hunter chuckled. "You didn't have to speak to the Jericho boy y'know…"

"Hunter… you're out of a job because of me, you helped me in my time of need, let me do the same for you, take the job and stay in New York, where you belong." Stephanie attempted to convince Hunter to take the job - sure it would be awkward; Chris has made his jealous feelings clear towards Hunter but she also knew Chris would be lucky to have his services at Jericho & Co.

"Actually I just accepted…" Hunter explained. "...I just wanted to thank you."

"No problem. Happy to help." Stephanie beamed as she sat with her phone to the ear.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish walked around in her towel as Jeff got into the shower next, she placed her fluffy dressing gown over her pyjama shorts set. Trish placed the towel around her head, turning the towel into a turban as she decided to let her towel absorb the moisture in her blonde locks.

As Jeff came out the shower, he himself had a towel wrapped around his waist, the moisture on his skin reflecting of his toned body as he used another towel to rub his hair as he placed the towel that he used on his head on the radiator, he walked over to where Trish was sat on the sofa as he gave her a tender peck on the cheek. Trish couldn't help but gush like a school girl, she loved how attentive he was with her.

As the elevator pinged signalling the return of her father, Trish and Jeff both stood in shock to find John Stratus return with Vince, Linda and one person Trish hoped to never see again in her lifetime - Shane.

"You have some fuckin' nerve showing your face here!" Jeff stormed over to Shane with his fists clenched as John Stratus came between them.

"Didn't take you long to move on and start playing house" Shane grinned cunningly at Trish, unthreatened by Jeff.

"Son go and put some clothes on…" John told Jeff who was still in his towel from the shower.

"I'm not leaving her alone in the same room as him!" Jeff hissed as Trish stood behind him timidly.

"I'm her father… I won't let anything happen to her." John replied in a stern voice. "Clothes. Now."

Trish gave her lover a subtle nod as she felt sick in the presence of the man that had beat her to an inch of her life and killed their baby. The sick smile still on his face as he could feel the blonde's uncomforted awkwardness.

"We're here to come to an arrangement…" Linda announced. "We did have an arrangement already sorted but since you can't keep to your end of the bargain, we have to come to talk, face to face."

"You see Trish…" Vince began. "Your video with your ex has surfaced on the internet, you're seen kissing him and it wasn't a week before he was found in a sex tape scandal, this is the exact reason we asked you not to be publicly involved with the Hardy boy. You're still linked to Shane through the tragic events of your miscarriage…"

"Let's call it an involuntary abortion." Trish hissed at the McMahons.

"Look you got what you wanted, you've no ties to me anymore and you jumped straight in bed with your ex boyfriend to reconcile your disastrous relationship." Shane grinned, showing no sign of remorse.

"You're a monster, do you have no guilt!" Trish exclaimed.

"Don't you?" Shane hit back. "I want to come back to New York, I'm not going to come anywhere near you or your company or your penthouse or even your lover boy… my parents have made wrote up a restraining order for you… it will be kept under wraps of course… we don't want a public scandal… but you must also accept that I'm not going anywhere."

"So what that's it… after all this… you don't get any type of punishment!" Trish scoffed, her eyes in disbelief, furiously glaring at her father who she couldn't believe had even agreed to such a thing.

"Patricia… we have to look at the bigger picture…" John Stratus began.

"Don't you dare justify this father." Trish hissed.

Jeff appeared by Trish's side, slipping his hand over hers to show his support.

"Look Patricia… he's going to come back to New York as you broke the terms of the agreement, I have still managed to find a solution to your problem, I wrote out the restraining order myself and double checked any loopholes… you don't have to sign it but he is coming back to New York whether we like it or not…" John sighed, the sympathy was evident in his voice but his hands were tied.

"You can't be serious…" Jeff gasped. "After everything he put her through-"

"This doesn't concern you rockstar." Shane warned.

"If it involves Trish then it does concern me you son of a-" Jeff raised his voice before getting cut off by Trish.

"I'll sign it…" Trish sighed in defeat.

"Trish you don't have too…" Jeff reassured Trish.

"He's coming back to New York… whether we like it or not… at least this way I can protect myself when you're not around…" Trish sighed as she took the papers out of her father's hand reading over them to make sure she knew what she was signing. As it looked legitimate enough she signed her names on the papers and handed them back to her father. "Now you have five seconds to get off of my property before I can get you arrested."

Shane smirked. "Have a nice life you pair of misfits."

Shane, Vince and Linda all made their way from Trish's penthouse as John looked at his daughter with apologetic eyes.

"Patricia-"

"You can get out as well…" Trish replied bluntly.

John seen the stern look on Trish's face and the look of betrayal which he knew she had every right to feel, he sighed but agreed to leave her, giving her time to soak in the information that her baby's murderer was free, scott free, no punishment, no consequences, no justice.

Jeff seen the heartbroken look on Trish's face as her hazel eyes began to overfill with tears, he pulled the blonde into his arms as she buried her head in his chest.

"I'm going to make him pay for his actions Trish…" Jeff promised as he squeezed the crying blonde in his arms. "...I promise you."


	21. Confess To Me

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE OR ANY LYRICS THAT MAY BE USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **A/N - READ & REVIEW, I LOVE READING YOUR REVIEWS & OPINIONS. I'M ON A ROLL WITH MY UPDATES ATM AND WHILE I HAVE THE INSPIRATION I'M GONNA MAKE SURE I TAKE ADVANTAGE, ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS LOL. HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVE CHAPTERS MOSTLY BECAUSE IT SOLELY FOCUSES ON TRISH & JEFF HEHE :-)**

Jeff seen the heartbroken look on Trish's face as her hazel eyes began to overfill with tears, he pulled the blonde into his arms as she buried her head in his chest.

"I'm going to make him pay for his actions Trish…" Jeff promised as he squeezed the crying blonde in his arms. "...I promise you."

Trish began to shake her head frantically. "I can't be here… I need to get away!"

"I'm right here… nothing is going to happen you!" Jeff insisted as Trish pulled away from his grasp and ran into her room, he followed the blonde who began packing her suitcase.

"No Hardy I can't do another day in New York… I need to get away… just for a couple of days… this penthouse is making me feel like a prisoner!" Trish explained as she began to pack her LV suitcase and she began to raid her closet, randomly placing different items of clothing and shoes in the case. "Let's just go away for a few days… I don't remember the last time I wasn't in New York… I feel like I'm drowning… please…"

Jeff looked at his lover, her eyes looked sad and the stress from the recent weeks began to take effect on her normally vibrant face. As the male let out a small sigh, he reluctantly nodded in agreement with the bombshell. How could he say no to her?

"Fine if you want to get away to clear your head then I've got just the place we can go." Jeff stated as he gave Trish a kiss on her lips, as their lips touched he could feel her smile return, he loved when she smiled and he wanted her to keep smiling for as long as possible - if that meant they take a few days away from the concrete jungle then so be it.

 **The Next Day**

Trish and Jeff awoke from their sleep, they had finally gotten out of New York and Trish couldn't be happier. Jeff had chose to take her to Cameron, sure Trish was thinking of going to the The Caribbean to clear her head yet she had always wanted to see the town that Jeff had grew up in. She had heard him talk so highly of his hometown and she felt privileged that she was finally getting to see his roots.

The two had spent the previous night at a hotel they booked just outside of Cameron, they spent the night watching romantic comedies and ordering room service as they tried to forget the terrible news that had been revealed - Shane McMahon was returning to New York.

Trish had been awake for over an hour, she had a nightmare that she couldn't shake out of her head.

 _Trish had finished work, she walked into her penthouse as she called Jeff's name. The atmosphere was moody, the power had gone out and there was an eerie feeling lurking in the air. She walked into her bedroom as she saw Jeff lay in the middle of his bed during a pool of his own blood._

" _Jeff!" The blonde shrieked as she shook his lifeless body._

 _She heard the door shut behind her causing her to jump, scared to turn around, she slowly spinned as she could feel the presence of evil behind her._

" _Boo!" Shane screamed in her face with a metal crowbar in his hand._

The blonde gazed at the enigma who was sleeping peacefully, he was crashed face down with his arm rested on his pillow before he tossed over and placed his arm over Trish's legs who was sitting up against the headboard watching the news which was on low volume. Trish and Jeff's reunion was still fresh and the media was eating it up as they questioned what this would mean for the former couple.

"What time is it?" Jeff asked, his voice tired as he was still unable to open his eyes.

"6…" Trish replied softly.

"Did you have a bad dream again?" Jeff asked sleepily, his eyes opening slowly as he saw the lack of sleep evident on the blonde's face.

Trish looked down at Jeff, nodding sheepishly.

Jeff pulled himself up so he was level with the blonde. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You were sleeping…" Trish shrugged as Jeff put an arm around her shoulders, she moved her head onto his shoulder as they snuggled back down into the covers.

"You should've woke me…" Jeff yawned as his eyes struggled to stay open.

"I couldn't you look so peaceful when you sleep." Trish stated as she traced a finger over the arm he had wrapped around her protectively. "You should go back to sleep…"

Trish looked at Jeff when she had no response from the enigma and chuckled as she saw his eyes closed and his head hanging of his neck as she switched positions so he could rest his head on her chest instead, she felt his arm around her waist as he drifted into a deep sleep once again, Trish stroked his hair as she continued to watch the news, seeing a report about Shane being spotted in New York - the headline read ' _Shane McMahon returns to New York after not being seen since his miscarriage with Trish Stratus… Trish Stratus seen reunited with ex-boyfriend Jeff Hardy… could the two sightings be linked?'_

Trish switched the channel to an old sitcom - the reason she got out of New York was to clear her head but how could she clear her head when the whole world reported her life? It didn't matter where she went, she would still be Trish Stratus, daughter of Alice Jericho and John Stratus, ex girlfriend of Shane McMahon, CEO of StratusFashion… the world would always know who she was and the world would always want to report on her life.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

After Jeff got another couple hours of sleep, the two finally got up and ready. Jeff had a whole day planned with Trish in his hometown, he had been waiting for the chance to take her to Cameron but she had always had a busy life even before she was CEO of a multi-million dollar business.

Jeff was wearing a black wife beater shirt, a black hoodie and black jeans. His hair had been put in a bun at the back of his head while he finished his look off with a pair of black and white nike trainers.

Trish felt good wearing something that wasn't an evening gown, cocktail dress or work clothes. It had been a while since she had just been casual, she wore a pair of dark blue skin tight jeans that looked like they had been painted on her toned legs and highlighted her bubble butt. She matched the jeans with an 'ACDC' ripped, rock style tee and a pair of black knee high boots. Her blonde, shoulder length hair was poker straight. Her makeup was natural looking, her lips were a nude glossy colour, she had no eye shadow, just mascara and some bronzer.

Jeff looked at Trish with a smirk, impressed by her new get up. "You suit the rock chick style…"

"Well if I'm a rockstar's girlfriend I thought I'd try and look the part…" Trish joked not realising she had called herself his 'girlfriend' which caused Jeff to grin from ear to ear.

"So I get to call you my girlfriend again?" Jeff grinned as he stepped closer to the blonde and picked her up in his arms.

Trish's eyes widened when she realised what she said, they hadn't exactly had the talk with one another since they had been reunited, they were spending so much time together and even though they were together all the time, practically living together and practically in a relationship, hearing Jeff say she was his girlfriend, made her feel anxious, they had only been in each other's lives again for a short time and they were moving so quick.

Jeff placed the blonde back on the ground as he noticed the change in her facial expression. "What's wrong?" Jeff asked with a worried tone.

"I didn't mean to say that…" Trish attempted to laugh off the comment.

Jeff frowned at Trish as she attempted to take back the comment which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde as she placed her hand in his.

"...Look Hardy I love you, I'm enjoying spending time with you and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you but you've not long got out of rehab, I've not long suffered a miscarriage and a break up, you've just had a sex tape released, I've got my psycho ex returning to New York…. The last thing we need right now is to jump back into a relationship…" Trish tried to explain.

Jeff looked at her with a confused gaze. "We're practically in a relationship Trish…"

"I know so why can't we just let it be what it is without calling it a relationship… why do we have to label it? I know what I feel for you and you know what you feel for me? Why can't we just leave it at that?.. for now at least… we're moving so quick Hardy and we both have a lot going on… I just can't call it a relationship just yet… you understand right?" Trish replied delicately.

Jeff understood what she was saying, he did. Yet he couldn't help but feel disappointment. He didn't care if the world knew they was together and they had no reason to hide anymore, everything was all out in the open. Jeff released Trish's hand as he nodded reluctantly. "Yeah no worries… I'm going to get the rental car… I'll meet you downstairs in 10?"

Trish noticed the change in Jeff's mood as he walked out the hotel room without leaving a kiss on her cheek or forehead which he normally did. The blonde let out a sigh as she watched him leave.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The two sat awkwardly in the rental car, Jeff had hired out a mercedes for the two to ride in style and truth be told he had missed driving - he had learn to drive from a young and even got his license when he was old enough but never seen the point driving as it was always to busy to drive around New York that and most of the people he associated with had drivers including his uncle plus he didn't drive while he was on tour as he lived on airplanes and tour buses. Despite the tense atmosphere, he was enjoying the silence in the car, it helped him focus on the road.

Trish was mesmerised by the beauty of North Carolina, the forests, the trees, the greenery. It was all new to her, she had never been camping or summer camp or went swimming in a lake - that wasn't what you did in your childhood when you grew up on the Upper East Side and driving down the country roads, inhaling the country air; it was all new to her.

Jeff glanced at Trish from the corner of his eye as he watched her take in the scenery before placing his eyes back on the road in front of him.

"It's beautiful…" Trish broke the silence after feeling the enigma's emerald eyes on her. "I feel like I'm in a movie…"

Jeff chuckled. "Now you know how I felt when I arrived in New York…"

"I never realised how hard it must've been for you to adjust to the big apple." Trish admitted as she turned to look at the enigma, his eyes glued to the road in front of him as he steered with one hand. "How did you cope?"

"I met you…" Jeff replied as he turned to look at her, forcing a half smile on his face. He didn't want to argue with her, she had so much going on in her head and he didn't want add to her stress yet the conversation about her not being his girlfriend had gotten to his head. He wanted to be with her, he was ready to be the man she always wanted and he felt as if it was a blow to his heart. Even if she said she loved him and had so much going on in her life he couldn't understand completely why they couldn't get back together officially.

The silence creeped into the car again as they finally got into the town centre of Cameron, it was definitely different to what Trish was used to but she couldn't help but love it. They drove around as they finally arrived at Jeff's first spot on her tour around Cameron. It was a cute house just further out from Cameron centre.

"Where are we?" Trish asked as she looked at the house which was surrounded by fields, woodlands and lots of trees.

"This is the house where I grew up…" Jeff replied shrewdly.

Trish took a double look at Jeff who didn't take his eyes off of the house. Trish sat in silence not sure what to say, she knew being at his parent's house, the place he spent his childhood before his family was tore apart and his parents died would make the man feel emotional. Trish placed a hand over his hand which was on the steering wheel causing the enigma to meet her gaze. Trish gave him a concerned smile as he cleared his throat.

"Come…" Jeff said as he got himself out the car. "I want to show you something."

Trish unclipped her seatbelt as she gracefully exited the vehicle, she realised she may have wore the wrong shoes as she struggled to walk through the forest. Jeff who had been walking ahead of her turned his head and laughed.

"Okay so you could've told me to change my shoes!" Trish replied with an annoyed tone as Jeff turned back, still giggling to himself as he picked her up in his arms and carried her through the woods.

"Do you even own flats?" Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"I could've bought some…" Trish stated as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The two walked through the forests when Jeff finally stopped and released Trish from his arms, she hadn't seen where Jeff was taking her as she had been facing into Jeff's chest while he carried her and as she turned around, she found herself by a huge lake. As she linked Jeff's arm the two walked down the wooden deck.

"I used to spend a lot of my summer's here… me, Matt and my dad used to go fishing on here then when I got older I'd go with my friends, we made a rope swing once, I fell off it alot, I even used to climb that tree…" Jeff pointed at a tall tree.

"Wow that's a big tree…" Trish gasped. "Please don't tell me you jumped off of it…"

"Yeah…" Jeff chuckled. "I used to do it all the time then one day I broke my arm…"

"So you stopped climbing the tree?" Trish asked. "That doesn't sound like you at all…"

"That's because I didn't…" Jeff laughed. "I let my arm heal then climbed another branch up and jumped off that one instead, I'm pretty lucky that this is a deep lake."

Trish giggled as she could imagine a young Jeff doing a somersault off of the tree. "I don't think I've ever been swimming in a lake… the pacific ocean… yeah… the gulf of mexico… yeah… never a lake…"

"Why don't I help you with that…" Jeff chuckled as he pretended to push Trish off of the edge of the deck but caught her before she had time to fall in.

"Don't ever fucking do that again!" Trish scowled furiously.

"Your face was priceless…" Jeff laughed at the infuriated Trish who pouted like a little girl, throwing her arms over her chest defensively. "Look it was a joke, don't get all stroppy."

"I'm not getting stroppy." Trish pouted, she was in fact getting stroppy.

Jeff continued to laugh as he picked Trish up in his arms. "C'mon princess…"

After a few minutes of silence, Trish looked up at Jeff who was carrying her back through the forest they had just walked through. "I bet it brings back a lot of memories coming to Cameron…"

"Yeah it does… I used to hide from the memories thinking they would cause me pain but now I look back on these memories and they make me happy…" Jeff explained. "I get my parents aren't here anymore, it's took me this long to accept it, there's no point blocking them out they need to be remembered…"

Trish smiled at the wise words that Jeff spoke as they continued to walk through the forest.

"I used to play hide and seek in these woods when I was a kid… I'd always be the last kid to be found and people would get worried and get my mom and dad to call me out… even then sometimes I committed to the role that much they'd send out search parties…" Jeff had a joyous glint in his eye as he talked about his childhood. "I loved growing up with so much land to explore…"

"Yeah I bet you had a really cool child… you got to be a kid… you don't get that privilege on the upper east side… all we had was brunch and nanny's…" Trish said, quite envious that Jeff got to grow up as a real kid and not groomed into the world of Manhattan's elite.

"C'mon there must've been something you enjoyed doing as kid…" Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"I loved going to fashion shows with my mom and being backstage… that was pretty cool." Trish shrugged. "Until she would scream at me that I was getting in the way…"

"Nice to know that Alice has always been a bitch." Jeff commented.

Trish nodded in agreement as her eyes widened to enforce her point, Jeff chuckled as they finally got out of the forest and he placed Trish gently back on her feet. The pair walked back down past the house that Jeff grew up as Trish could see a million memories flood into the mind of the enigma.

"I had a pretty good childhood." Jeff announced proudly as he made his way back into the car, Trish took one last glance at the house before walking round to the passenger seat.

"So where next?" Trish asked.

"You'll see…" Jeff replied.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Trish I have something to confess…" Jeff said as he turned the radio down slightly interrupting Trish who was humming along to the song.

Trish turned to look at him as he continued to drive, not meeting her gaze. "What is it?"

"You know when you were in hospital and I went missing…" Jeff began.

Trish's heart beat rapidly as she could only imagine what he had been doing for twenty four hours, expecting the worse.

"I came back here… to Cameron… I wasn't going to go back to New York…" Jeff admitted.

"Oh…" Trish replied, not sure how to take the confession. "Why?"

"It's complicated and if I told you you'd probably think I was back on drugs…" Jeff trailed off.

"Try me." Trish chuckled.

"When you were in hospital, I asked you to wake up and I didn't… then I started to pray-"

"Do you even believe in god?" Trish raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Just listen…" Jeff replied. "I started to pray that you would wake up, even if it meant that I that I had to leave you alone and all of a sudden, you miraculously woke up."

"So… you were going to move back to Cameron… because you prayed to god… told him you would leave me alone… then I woke up…" Trish asked, double checking she had heard the enigma right.

"Right…" Jeff nodded, he knew how crazy he sounded but at the time he felt as if he had no other choice.

"So why did you come back?" Trish asked. "What made you change your mind?"

"I was staying at Rob's… my best friend from Cameron…" Jeff explained.

"RVD? I remember you telling me about him… you used to get in trouble with him a lot… he was like your partner in crime right?" Trish asked, ensuring that was the correct friend.

Jeff nodded. "Yeah… he took me to my mom and dad's grave… I hadn't been there since the funeral and he helped me deal with my emotions and stop running away from them… he also convinced me to stop running away from New York… to stop running away from you…"

"Well he's sounds smart…" Trish nodded in approval.

"Hard to believe he used to be a pothead right?" Jeff chuckled. "He was the biggest stoner I know, the amount of times he had been caught with pot… we're actually going to meet him and a few of the boys later…"

"I'm excited to meet them…" Trish grinned before her face took a serious turn. "Jeff?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I'm glad you came back to New York." Trish said with gratitude in her voice.

The car finally arrived at their destination as they drove through the cemetery, Trish couldn't believe he was actually bringing her to visit his parent's grave. She had a few conversations with him over the years about his parents, it was a touchy subject and she knew he didn't really like talking about it.

"You don't mind coming with me do you?" Jeff asked.

"I'd be honoured…" Trish smiled with pride in her eyes.

The two made their way out of the car as Jeff lead the way to his parents grave, Trish walking slowly behind him as she watched him bend down and clean up the grave slightly, the grave looked considerably clean, he just got rid of a few dead flowers.

"Rob comes and cleans the graves up for me…" Jeff said never taking his eyes off of the grave.

"He sounds like a good friend." Trish said softly as she kneeled down alongside Jeff.

"Yeah even after all this time…" Jeff chuckled. "He's still looking out me and my family."

"Loyalty is a good trait to have…" Trish responded as she took her eyes of Jeff and turned all her attention to the graves in front of her. The blonde noticed that Jeff was finding it awkward with Trish by his side, almost like he was holding back from conversing with his parents. Trish put on a huge grin as she looked directly at the gravestone and started talking. "Gilbert and Ruby Hardy… it's very nice to finally meet you… I'm Trish Stratus…"

Jeff looked at Trish who took him by surprise when she started to speaking to the headstone.

"It's a shame we never got to meet each other… I'm sure I would've loved you… your boys are doing great, they have their rocky moments but overall they have good hearts… I'm sure they learnt that from you…" Trish continued.

Jeff chuckled as he continued to watch Trish.

"I'm a bit biased but Jeff is definitely my favourite, he's been my rock, I've been going through some things recently and he came back into my life and gave me hope again, you would be super proud of your little boy, I know that I am…" Trish continued.

The words couldn't help but sting Jeff, if she felt this way, why couldn't they just get back together? Why couldn't they be a real couple?

As his emotions began to overwhelm him, perhaps it was Trish being at his parent's grave saying the things that she saying, he couldn't take it and jumped to his feet, storming back to the car leaving Trish confused as she followed him.

Jeff got into the car and turned on the engine, Trish slipped into the passenger seat.

"What's wrong?" Trish asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Just leave it… we're getting out of here…" Jeff replied bluntly.

"If something's wrong you can talk to me…" Trish attempted to make Jeff feel better but it backfired when he put his foot down on the peddle and began to speed through the cemetery on the maind. "Hardy…"

"I said leave it Trish!" Jeff snapped, causing the female to slide down in the passenger seat and stare out the window as the two continued the drive.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The tension was high in the car as they pulled up to some empty land, Trish had decided to stay silent since Jeff had raised his voice at her despite his numerous apologies which she would return with a weak nod.

"I'm sorry Trish…" Jeff apologised for the sixth time.

"I heard you the first time…" The blonde sighed. "What are we doing here?"

"We're meeting the guys…" Jeff replied as he could tell the blonde was still upset over his emotional outburst that he had took out on her.

"Here? It looks abandoned…" Trish raised an eyebrow at the barren land, it was full of wore down grass and dirt tracks.

"It is." Jeff replied as he got out of the car and walked to the boot, Trish looked uninterested as she sat in the passenger seat using the wing mirror to watch Jeff pull out what looked like protective clothing. Curiosity got the better of Trish as she decided to step out the car and watched as Jeff began to place the clothing over himself and had a helmet held in his arm.

"What are we doing out here Jeff…" Trish asked.

"Jeff Hardy in the flesh and blood…" A husky southern voice got their attention, Trish turned around to find a muscular man with a mohawk and the same protective clothing as Jeff. "...it's been years man!"

"Shannon Moore!" Jeff smiled as the two guys came in for a hug.

"You know when Rob told me you were going to be here today I didn't believe him." Shannon chuckled as he then took his attention the blonde bombshell stood behind Jeff with a confused look on her face. "And this must be Trish Stratus… you're even hotter in person."

"Shannon…" Jeff warned. "I'm sure Crystal wouldn't be happy to hear that…"

"Are you kidding she'd agree with me!" Shannon scoffed as he welcomed Trish with a warm hug. "It's nice to finally meet the girl who inspired Jeff's music career…"

Trish couldn't help but laugh at the comment as Jeff rolled his eyes playfully.

"Rob's on his way now, he's running late, I think Beth didn't like the idea of him getting on the bikes again…" Another man pulled up, this man was smaller and tanned with blue contacts that contrasted against his tanned skin and dark hair. "Jeff man what's up, it's good to see you!"

"What you sayin Rey!" Jeff chuckled as the two fist bumped. "Still not got any taller…"

"Fuck you man!" Rey scowled playfully as he made his way to Trish. "Rey Mysterio, it's nice to meet you…"

Trish smiled politely as they shook each other's hand. "Trish Stratus…"

"I know who you are… I think everybody in the world knows who you are… even if you weren't Jeff's girlfriend." Rey chuckled.

"Don't say girlfriend, she doesn't like that word…" Jeff said as a sly dig to Trish.

Trish pierced her eyes in annoyance but forced out a chuckle. The guys could sense the tension between Trish and Jeff as their wide eyes stared at one another.

"Sorry I'm late guys, Beth was on my case, I told her it's a one time thing I mean c'mon when is the next time we're going to be altogether?" Rob chuckled. "Don't see you for years and then I see you twice in a few months!"

"How did you get so lucky?" Jeff joked.

"And you brought Trish it's about time!" Rob grinned as he went to shake her hand.

"I'm guessing you're Rob, I've heard a lot about you!" Trish smiled as she returned his hand shake.

"Oh god… did you tell her I was a pothead?" Rob raised an eyebrow at Jeff. "Why've you always gotta bring that up man…"

"Hey I didn't just say that!" Jeff replied innocently.

"It's true though…" Rey shrugged.

"I smoked as much as he did!" Shannon frowned.

"Falling asleep after doesn't count." Rey rolled his eyes at Shannon.

"So we ready to ride or not?" Jeff chuckled attempting to change the subject.

"Yeah you're in for a real treat Trish…" Rob smiled. "You get to see me wipe the smile of your boyfriend's face!"

"Dude don't say boyfriend or girlfriend around Trish…" Shannon slapped Rob on the head.

"Yeah…" Rey confirmed. "Trish doesn't like it apparently…"

Trish glared at Jeff who decided to ignore her.

"Helmets on!" Jeff shouted as he threw his helmet on and ran over to the bikes that were on the back of Rob's truck.

The boys all ran off leaving Trish stood watch them goof around with each other, barge into one another and act like teenage boys for the first time in what she predicted was years. Despite her annoyance at Jeff and the tension that had been felt throughout the day, seeing him with his friends and watching how happy he was being reunited with them, lifted her heart.

As they all got on their bikes, Trish watched how they sped around the tracks of the fields, Jeff was in the lead, follow by Rob, Rey then Shannon.

"Eat dust Shannon!" Rey screamed out with an evil laugh.

Shannon revved his engine as he overtook the small man as he threw his middle finger up and began driving extremely fast past Rey who soon stopped laugh as Shannon attempted to catch upto Jeff and Rob, Jeff was in the lead but Rob was catching up behind him. As Jeff tried to cut Rob off, the move backfired as Jeff went up the hill and off of the back, tumbling back down and bouncing of the floor a few times before he skid across the field.

"Hardy!" Trish called out as she watched the events that had just occurred, she ran over to him as quickly as she could as the other boys turned round and rode their bikes to where Jeff had fell. Trish finally got over to him as she heard him moaning with pain and coughing as he took his helmet off.

"I guess I'm a bit rusty…" Jeff chuckled while Trish looked at him with a disapproving expression.

"Are you okay? We should get you to the hospital!" Trish fussed over the injured enigma who just laughed at her concern. "This isn't funny Jeff!"

"He'll be alright!" Rob chuckled reassuringly. "He's had worse falls!"

"Nothing's broken right?" Rey asked as Jeff shook his head and shrugged.

"Dude… you almost had him!" Shannon laughed at Jeff. "Rob is the winner, again!"

"What better way to go into retirement!" Rob grinned as he helped Jeff up.

Trish got up from the floor as she looked at Jeff who didn't seem fazed that he had just gone flying across a field and could've possibly seriously injured himself or worse.

"Next time you want to to try and lose the feeling in your legs or break your neck can you not bring me to go and watch it?" Trish said to Jeff as she stormed back over the field to the rental car.

"Bruh did you not tell her why we were meeting?" Rey asked.

Jeff shook his head, oblivious.

"You could've at least warned her…." Rob gave Jeff a questionable look.

"I thought she would be cool with it…" Jeff shrugged.

"Do you see any of our ladies here?" Shannon laughed. "C'mon bro… dumb move."

"Well I've just realised that…" Jeff replied sarcastically. "I'm going to go and speak to her I'll catch you guys later, we still on for dinner?"

"Yeah reservations are at 8…" Rob nodded. "We'll all be there, the wives too… well apart from Rey… he'll be on his own as usual."

"Hey what if I told you I have a date?" Rey frowned.

"Do you?" Shannon raised an eyebrow.

"Well no…" Rey replied sheepishly.

"Point proven…" Rob chuckled.

"Right well I'll see you guys then… I gotta do some damage control." Jeff chuckled weakly as he patted the guys on the back before he made his way back to the car.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As they drove back to the hotel to get a shower and get ready for dinner with Jeff's friends and their partners, the atmosphere was severely tense. Trish was furious with Jeff, she couldn't believe he could be so reckless, well she could, what she couldn't believe is that he would bring her to watch him almost get himself killed. Jeff still had his own feelings that he was hiding, he was hurt that she (in his eyes) rejected him by telling him she didn't want a relationship (yet).

"Look I've said I'm sorry…" Jeff sighed as Trish sat giving him the silent treatment. "Trish will you just talk to me…"

"Shall we count how many times you've said sorry to me in the last twenty four hours?" Trish raised an eyebrow, as she began to grow bored with hearing the words come out of his mouth. "I wanted to come away to clear my head and it seems like it was a bad decision to come here with you…"

Jeff winced as if in physical pain when he heard he say those words, he had dreamed of this moment since he had first began dating Trish and it seemed it had not gone to plan. He wanted this to be special, she was in his hometown, the place he held close to his heart almost as close as her.

"Trish I'm-"

"Yeah… I know you're sorry…" Trish replied in a disappointed tone as they pulled up to her hotel and she made her way out the car into the entrance.

Jeff sat alone in the car as he hit the steering wheel in frustration.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The two barely spoke to each other since they had returned the hotel and gotten changed, Jeff wore a patterned oversized shirt with a pair of black jeans and trainers while Trish wore a black polo neck jumper dress with a pair of black strappy heels. Trish had slightly more make up on than before and her hair was still straight.

The two got out of the car as they approached what looked to be a family owned restaurant, it looked cosey and wasn't anything too fancy but it was a Cameron speciality, if you came to Cameron you had to eat at this restaurant - it was a place Matt and Jeff shared many meals with his parents as well as the rest of the residents of Cameron.

"I know you're sick of hearing it, but _I am_ sorry you've not enjoyed your day, I didn't want it to be like this…" Jeff announced sincerely as he looked at the blonde with apologetic eyes.

"I know Jeff…" Trish smiled sadly. "Let's just go and have a nice meal with your friends…"

Jeff and Trish were the last couple to arrive, Jeff frowned when he seen an unexpected face sat at the table - Phillip Brooks or as he remembered him CM Punk. They hadn't spoke since the fight he had with him on the night of his parent's death, Phil came to the funeral but stayed clear of Jeff and you couldn't blame him. The last thing he would want to do is be on the receiving end of Jeff's anger.

"Don't look too happy to see me!" Phil chuckled sarcastically, automatically pushing Jeff's buttons.

"Come on guys… we've all grew up since the last time you two seen each other…" Rey said in attempt to keep the peace.

"Trish… this is… Phil…" Jeff introduced Trish to Phil who she smiled and waved at, pushing his feelings towards Phil to the back of his mind, he couldn't deal with anymore drama.

"It's nice to meet you, can I ask what's a girl like you, doing with a guy like him!" Phil half-joked knowing how to annoy Jeff. "I'd like to introduce you to my fiance AJ Lee…"

Trish smiled politely at the tanned raven-haired beauty sat next to Phil. "Hi it's nice to meet you!"

"I'm a huge fan, I love StratusFashion, your new line is amazing, lucky I have Phil so I'm able to afford it…" AJ giggled as she kissed her partner on the cheek.

"You remember the guys right…" Jeff said as the guys waved at Trish.

"How could I forget…" Trish muttered to herself, memories of Jeff tumbling off of his motorbike still vivid in her mind's eye.

"Well this is Rob's wife Beth Britt…" Jeff introduced Trish to the pregnant brunette sat next to Rob who smiled at the blonde.

"Don't worry you're not the only one who doesn't approve of the boys reckless behaviour today," Beth smiled sarcastically at Rob.

"We said we wasn't going to do this here." Rob whispered to his wife's ear.

"And this is Crystal Moore… Shannon's wife… they got hitched when they were in high school…" Jeff introduced Trish to Shannon and his raven-haired wife who looked perfect for each other.

"Nice to meet you Trish," Crystal smiled.

"Hi… sorry we were late…" Trish chuckled nervously.

"I'm starving…" Jeff stated as he pulled Trish's chair out for her to sit down and took the seat next to her as they both began scanning over the menu.

"Let's not pretend you're not going to get anything other than the BBQ ribs…" Beth chuckled at Jeff as Trish raised an eyebrow at her lover.

Jeff laughed at the gesture. "I'm that predictable right…"

"I can see you look confused Trish…" Phil smirked seeing a perfect opportunity to mess with Jeff. "You see before Rob and Beth got married or even dated, Jeff and Beth dated I believe they lost their virginity together, it's crazy if he never went to New York he'd probably be the one married to Beth right now…"

Trish's eyes widened at the news, she couldn't hide the surprise on her face. Jeff let out a sigh as he couldn't believe what Phil had said to cause trouble.

"Yeah well if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle…" Rob laughed off.

"No she'd be transgender." Rey pointed out.

"Tomato, tomato…" Shannon shrugged.

"I didn't tell you because it's not a big deal." Jeff said to Trish.

"Yeah I know… it's cool… it was before we even met… besides she's happily married now." Trish tried to her best to act cool but she wasn't simply because he had never mentioned Beth or mentioned he had dated anyone before her, was there a reason he never told her?

"Somewhat happily married…" Beth said as a dig to Rob.

"You're really doing this aren't you?" Rob said as he grew annoyed with his wife.

"Hey Jeff… how's your brother?" Phil smirked continuing to antagonise the enigma.

"Phil…" Rob sighed. "Drop it."

"Jeff and Phil had a fight the last time they saw each other…" Rey whispered to Trish as he tried to fill her in on the situation. "The night his parents died."

"He's good actually he's got his own record label…" Jeff replied matter-of-factly.

"Well tell him I was asking for him…" Phil smiled slyly. "...I still owe you a broken nose you know that right Hardy…"

"For god sake…." Shannon said as he gulped down his beer.

"You're lucky I didn't rip you smug little head off…" Jeff hissed as his anger began to build up.

"Jeff…" Trish placed a hand on his leg as she gave him a look of disapproval as she shook her head, she had seen Jeff angry and she didn't like to see that side to him, even if it was clear that Phil was doing it on purpose and had it coming, she hoped Jeff wouldn't rise to it.

"So...guys… I'm thinking of going for the steak!" Crystal said as she tried to ease the tension.

"Yeah I'm torn between the steak and the BBQ burger…" Beth replied to Crystal hoping it would get the rest of group talking about the food instead of the past.

"I wonder if Trish here knows that you're the reason for your parents death…" Phil blurted out.

The rest of the table froze as they couldn't believe Phil even had the nerve to mention Jeff's late parents, Trish turned to look at Jeff and could see his face turning red as he gripped onto his fork.

"Phil that's enough…" Rob shouted causing the rest of the restaurant to turn and the face the group. "I think we all agree that it'd be best for you to leave."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me right?" Phil scoffed. "The guy hasn't been here in years and your picking him over me when I was the best man at your wedding!"

"You picked him as your best man!" Jeff hissed with bitterness.

"Yeah he did!" Phil yelled back. "While you were busy doing cocaine and living with the rich kids I was here where was you! You've not bothered coming back to Cameron once and you think you can just come back here and everything would be the same!"

"Phil leave!" Rob demanded.

"Come on AJ…" Phil signalled his wife as they began walking towards the door before he turned around and walked back over to Trish.

"You can do better than a _murderer_ …" He whispered in the girls ear.

Enough was enough, Jeff had let him get away with too much throughout the night. He clenched his fist, uppercutting Phil and knocking him to the floor.

"Jeff!" Trish screamed.

Jeff noticed the fright in Trish's eyes as he released his clenched fist and stormed out of the restaurant, Trish looked at the rest of the group as they gave her a sympathetic look. The blonde ran after Jeff who was outside on the street as his arms rested against the wall as she saw the tortured soul crying.

Trish cautiously walked over to him, placing a hand on her back as Jeff turned around hastily, causing Trish to jump back slightly. He looked at her and she saw the pain in his eyes.

"It's okay…" She whispered as she placed her arms around him. "It's okay…"

As if she was an angel sent from above, he fell into her arms like a scared, little boy as he began to break down, tears streamed down his face as the blonde just sat with him and hugged him, feeling the pain he was feeling as if they were linked.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

After an eventful day and night, Jeff and Trish finally arrived in their hotel room. Trish took out her earrings and placed them on the dressing room side as Jeff darted straight into the bathroom. Trish had never seen him cry before, not the way he had just broke down to her, it shown his vulnerability, she didn't know what Phil had meant when he called Jeff a murderer. She knew she needed to talk to him, she was also worried about how he would react.

As Jeff came back out the bathroom, now wearing sweatpants with no shirt revealing his bruised body from the bike accident he had before.

Trish walked over to him as she delicately traced the deep purple bruises around his body. "I wish you went to the hospital… that looks really painful."

"I'm fine." Jeff replied, his voice was weak as he locked eyes with Trish.

"We need to talk about today Hardy…" Trish said, her tone was compassionate as she gave him a concerned look, she didn't want to argue with him, she wanted to find out what was going on in his mind.

Jeff let out a sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed, Trish sat next to him.

"What was all that about… with Phil…" Trish asked.

"He's an asshole…" Jeff hissed. "We never got along…"

"When did you break his nose?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"He was trying to pick on Matt!" Jeff replied defensively. "I was protecting my brother…"

"I'm not judging you Jeff, I'm trying to understand you…" Trish sighed. "I dated you for 5 years and I feel like I don't know anything about you after tonight!"

Jeff sat in silence as he still refused to look at the blonde.

"You told me your mom and dad were in a car accident… you never told me what happened…" Trish mentioned as Jeff finally looked at her, anger in his eyes.

"You want to know what happened to my parents Trish?" Jeff shrieked. "I broke that punk's nose, defending my brother, I got grounded and I ran away like I always fucking do and do you know what happened next, my parents went looking for me… you want to know why my parents were in a car accident?! They were out looking for me!"

Trish was taken back by the hostility in Jeff's voice but it didn't scare her. She placed a soft hand on Jeff's cheek as he closed his eyes, an automatic sense of calm radiated from her touch.

"It's not your fault Hardy…" Trish said forcefully. "Look at me! It was an accident, a terrible, tragic, devastating accident, it's not your fault…"

"If I didn't run away then my parents would still be alive Trish…" Jeff's angered tone now crippled with sadness. "It is my fault."

"It's not your fault." Trish repeated. "It was an accident."

Jeff looked back at his feet as memories of that dreaded night flooded back to his head.

"So you lost virginity to Beth…" Trish changed the subject, cattiness was evident in her tone.

"It was before I met you…" Jeff reminded the blonde.

"I just always figured… I don't know… we lost our virginity together…" Trish sighed.

"Look Beth is a great girl, if I would've stayed in Cameron who would've known what might have happened but I didn't, I moved to New York and I met you!" Jeff spoke softly. "I love you Trish, you're the only girl I ever have and ever will love…"

"I love you too…" Trish replied as she held his face in her hands. "I love you more than you will ever know Hardy…"

"Then why are you so against being my girlfriend?" Jeff hit back.

Trish sighed as she released his face from her hands. "Hardy we were together for five years and we have been through so much, why do you want to rush this, why can't you just let it be…"

"Because if two people love each other they should be together!" Jeff snapped.

"We are together… we've never been apart… you have always been in my heart and there's not a day in the last two years I didn't think about… I know I dated Shane but you are the only person I ever want to be with I just can't rush back into this…" Trish explained. "The minute that the world knows about us and it becomes official, it becomes real, we become headline news, we become the hot topic and it also means we'll be in the spotlight, I'm not hiding you and I'm not ashamed to be in love with you, I just don't want to ruin what we have now for a label… it doesn't mean anything… we know this is real and when the time is right we will get the ending we deserve until then we have so many other issues that we need to resolve on our own and as a couple… just trust me on this… please?"

"So you just expect me to wait until you say you're ready?" Jeff asked.

"Why can't you just let it be…" Trish sighed. "You own my heart Jeff Hardy… is that not enough?"

Jeff looked at the blonde as he sighed in defeat, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.


	22. Feel The Distance

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **A/N - ANOTHER UPDATE, ENJOY, READ & REVIEW... :-)**

After four days, Jeff and Trish were preparing to go back to New York as they repacked their cases. Once they got over the chaotic first day they endured, the pair managed to enjoy the rest of their time in the enigma's hometown. Jeff enjoyed being in the company of his old friends, Rob, Rey & Shannon without the presence of Phil to antagonize the enigma. Trish got to know Crystal and Beth and the three hit it off… even considering the revelation that Beth and Jeff lost their virginities together. Trish had become a designated member of the group and it was the first time in months Trish finally felt as if she had some peace of mind but the dread was creeping in as she had to go back and face reality.

As the two finished packing, Jeff received a phone call. He looked at his cell to see 'Matt' flashing on his touch screen a he pressed the green button to accept the call.

"Jeffrey Nero Hardy, I can't believe you went to Cameron without me!" Matt said on the other side of the phone, the tone of disappointment at his brother returned to his hometown without him. "I've been trying to phone you for days, both yours and Trish's phones have been off and then I find out from Shannon you have been in Cameron this whole time!"

"You spoke to Shannon?" Jeff asked.

"No he posted pictures up on social media!" Matt replied.

"He's such a fucking moron…" Jeff sighed. "Tell him to delete the pictures!"

"You tell him, you're the one in Cameron!" Matt scoffed.

"We're running late for our flight…" Jeff explained. "I'll phone him now…."

"What time is your flight I'll come and pick you both up, I need to tell you something…" Matt said with an excited tone at the end of the sentence.

"I'll send you the details…" Jeff replied as he ended the call.

Trish had overheard the conversation between Jeff and Matt, she sat on her suitcase in attempt to zip it up, she didn't know how the contents of the case seemed to multiply. "What was that about?" Trish asked as she sounded out of breath and continued to fight with the case.

"Let me help you…" Jeff chuckled as he sat on the case and signalled for Trish to try zip it once again with his weight holding it down. "I need to call Shannon he put up the photos we all took last night, when we went for dinner, so I need to call him to tell him to take them down, the last thing you need is for the media leaking them…"

"Thanks…" Trish said as she managed to zip the case up and looked at Jeff wistfully. "And it's the last thing that we need…"

"Yeah that's what I meant…" Jeff replied unconvinced. "Matt's going to pick us up… well… I mean he's going to get JBL's driver to pick us up and he's going to be there… apparently he needs to show me something."

"I'm actually going to be getting Stephanie to pick me up…" Trish told Jeff as she walked over to the mirror and began placing her earrings in her ears. "...she's pissed that I've just gone M.I.A."

"Right…" Jeff replied as he whipped out his phone and tried to call Shannon but just received his voicemail.

'Hey you've reached Shannon… I can't get to the phone right now… or I can't be assed speaking to you… I'll let you figure out which one… leave a message, call back…. Don't really give a fuck… peace."

Jeff rolled his eyes at the voicemail. "Shannon, dude, I told you not to post me or Trish in any pictures, delete them…" Jeff paused before his tone took a more forceful approach. "Now!"

The enigma turned to face Trish who had just finished putting her brown leather jacket on over her white blouse and light blue jeans which she paired with a pair of brown ankle boots. Her blonde hair was in a neat bun on the top of her head as she placed a pair of prada glasses over her eyes and a pair of solid gold hoops.

Jeff was wearing a burgundy velvet tracksuit while he wore a burgundy cap on the top of his head with his hair in two pigtails at the back of his head through the back of his hat and a pair of white jordans.

"I just hope nobody sees us at the airport…" Trish said as she pulled out the handle to her case, she noticed Jeff roll his eyes as she turned to face him. "You know what I mean Hardy…"

"Yeah I know…" Jeff sighed before replying sarcastically. "We should've just took your private jet…"

"I didn't think Cameron was the place for the private jets…" Trish replied oblivious to his sarcasm before the penny dropped. "Oh…"

"I'll get the next flight… just go on your own Trish…" Jeff replied in defeat.

"No! I'm not saying that!" Trish grimaced. "Hardy please don't be like this."

"I'm not being like anything… you don't want us being seen together… it's cool…" Jeff didn't raise his voice rather just accept the current situation he and Trish were in. "I'll drop you at the airport and I'll go and see Shannon and make sure the photo is deleted off of facebook… then I'll drop the rental off and get on a later flight… no big deal..."

Trish felt guilt as she walked over and kissed him on his lips, although Jeff returned the kiss, she could tell he wasn't giving her the same energy he had been given her in recent weeks. The blonde looked up at him as she focused on his green eyes and let out a weak smile.

Jeff didn't want to return the eye contact he was receiving but he couldn't help it instead he smiled hesitantly back at her. "You're going to miss your flight we should go…"

Trish felt a sickening feeling in her stomach as Jeff broke away from her embrace and picked the car keys up off of the dresser. Trish exhaled deeply as she hated to see Jeff acting the way he was with her, deciding to brush it off, she picked her suitcase off and followed him outside of the hotel room.

The two checked out of the hotel as Jeff drove the blonde to the airport, as they arrived at the airport and he pulled up to the departure entrance he turned the engine off as Trish placed a hand on his arm as she felt the distance growing between herself and the enigma. "I do love you Hardy…"

"I know…" Jeff replied the only way he could.

Trish smiled dejectedly and nodded as she went to open the door of the passenger seat, she halted as she felt the enigma grab her arm gently. As she turned her head to face Jeff, he hit her with a passionate yet sweet kiss as their tongues entangled together. As she broke away from the breathtaking kiss, the couple locked eyes as Jeff continued to hold the back of her head.

"I love you too…" He replied with a bit more enthusiasm in his voice before he released hold of her.

"I'll see you back in New York…" She smiled sweetly before closing the door and getting her case from the boot of the car, she began to walk to the entrance with her case rolling behind her as Jeff took one final look at her and began to drive off.

-x-x-x-x-

Stephanie waited patiently at the arrival gates for her blonde best friend, she was confused as to why she would just turn her phone off and leave the company she had worked so hard to build unattended for four days, if Stephanie wasn't prepared to step in for Trish, god knows what would've happened.

Trish strolled out the airport her as she smiled and waved at the brunette who stood staring at Trish with a hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised, her expression showed how unimpressed the brunette was with her best friend's recent actions.

"Where the hell have you been Patricia!" Stephanie exclaimed, sounding more like her mother than her best friend. "You have been missing for days, nobody has been able to get in touch with you and most importantly why are you flying on a commercial airline when you have a perfectly good private jet!"

Trish chuckled and Stephanie was took back when the blonde embraced her in a warm hug, something that the blonde hadn't done in a long time. Stephanie accepted the hug as her face screwed up in confusion.

"Thank you Steph…" Trish smiled from ear to ear, still not letting go of the brunette. "Thank you for being a good friend…"

"I'm the bestest friend, what other sucker would work free of charge?" Stephanie replied indifferently as she kept her cool demeanor as Trish separated from the brunette.

"That's why I want to make you my business partner!" Trish exclaimed.

Stephanie looked at her in shock as the offer left her speechless - which didn't happen often.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!" Trish chuckled. "Steph… I'm a fashion designer… not a businesswomen…"

"You have a multimillion dollar business which you built yourself from the ground up!" Steph reminded her friend. "I think you're definitely a businesswomen."

"Well let me rephrase it… I don't want to be a businesswomen!" Trish admitted. "Look when I started my business it was to design clothes and I can't focus on both…"

"So what I'd be in charge of the business side of the company?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah you're a McMahon… business is in your blood…" Trish pointed out. "Look Steph I know it's a big decision but let's face it lately you've helped me out so much with my company that it'd be wrong to just call it mine… I want you to be my partner… please accept my offer."

Stephanie looked at Trish with disbelief. "You trust me with part-ownership of your company?"

"That and so much more." Trish replied confidently. "You're family Steph, I can't do this on my own it's draining me I don't know how I've managed for so long, I need you on my team - permanently..."

Stephanie's shocked face broke into a grin from ear to ear.

"So is that a yes?" Trish chuckled.

Stephanie stood in silence, unable to speak but the grin never wavered from her face.

"Don't make me get down on one knee…" Trish chuckled as Stephanie still stood there gobsmacked as Trish rolled her eyes playfully as she kneeled down causing Stephanie to burst into laughter. "Stephanie Marie McMahon will you make me the happiest girl in the world by becoming my future business partner?"

"Get up off the floor…" Stephanie continued laughing as she nodded. "Yes, yes I'll be your business partner!"

The two hugged which received claps from an old couple who mistook the friends as a lesbian couple.

"That's beautiful…" The old woman cooed. "It's great to see the world moving into the future!"

"The world has definitely evolved…" The old man replied.

"Love is love darling." The woman applauded. "I hope you are both are very happy together."

Trish and Stephanie laughed along with each other before getting into the limousine. The vehicle began driving and making their way to drop Trish at her penthouse as the girls sat in the back and caught up, Trish was being very mysterious about her surprise trip.

"So where's your boyfriend…" Stephanie asked.

"He's not my boyfriend." Trish sighed.

"Since when?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"Since I broke up with him in Las Vegas." Trish replied cattish.

"Woah… attitude… I thought everything was good in the world of barbie and alternative Ken?" Stephanie heckled.

Trish couldn't help but chuckle, she could tell Stephanie was feeling extra sassy in the time she had been in her company.

"We was… we've been in Cameron - before you ask where that is…. It's Jeff hometown and we've had a great time don't get me wrong..." Trish sighed as she thought back on her time in Cameron, even though Jeff had agreed with the blonde's wishes on not pursuing a relationship at the moment, she could tell that he had taken a step back in the process. She had unintentionally hurt his feelings. "But I accidently said to him that I was his girlfriend."

"But I thought you were?" Stephanie asked with a confused expression.

"Well we're not in a relationship! He's been back in my life for less than five minutes, he is already practically living with me don't you think it's moving a bit fast?" Trish exclaimed.

"Patricia…" Stephanie furrowed her brow. "What's going on?"

"I'm scared Steph… things are going so well with me and Jeff… I feel like the minute we say it's official and we get back together…" Trish noticed Stephanie about to say something as she raised her voice. "... Officially get back together then something would pop up and ruin our happiness, I don't want us to fuck up again, I've only just got him back."

"Well what if it doesn't fuck up again?" Stephanie replied which shocked Trish, she was normally the one who would agree with Trish in these situations and normally put the blonde off the idea that her and Jeff were soul mates, telling her to be more realistic. "Look I get you will have your doubts, you've been through a lot recently and just when you think something is going well for you, something pops up…"

Trish looked at Stephanie and nodded - she did feel like it was too good to be true.

"...but don't ruin this before it even begins, you've waited for so long for Jeff to get his rainbow coloured head of out his ass-"

"He's stripped his hair!" Trish exclaimed.

"Irrelevant!" Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"You sound like Jericho… again." Trish smirked.

"Don't change the subject Patricia…" Stephanie warned as Trish began to pout. "...I know you're scared but you deserve to be happy and Jeff makes you happy, he's proved he can be the man you always dreamed off… don't push him away."

"It's just moving so quick Steph… I mean a few months ago I was preparing to have your brothers baby… doesn't that make me a bad person… jumping into a relationship with my ex?" Trish asked as she tried to explain how she felt about the situation.

"You are not a bad person for moving on with your life, it doesn't mean you're forgetting about the baby by allowing somebody else to make you happy…" Steph gave Trish a reassuring smile. "Do you love Jeff?"

"Of course… he's the love of my life…" Trish replied without giving the question a second thought.

"So don't you think you've both wasted enough time?" Steph chuckled. "Looks like this is your stop… Do you want me to come up with you?"

Trish shook her head and smiled sadly. "I'll be fine…"

Stephanie looked at Trish to see tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Trish chuckled as she wiped the tears. "I just love you so much Steph, I'm so glad you're back in my life and I know we've had a rocky year…"

"Don't you be getting all emotional on me Stratus!" Stephanie warned as she waved her finger at the blonde. "You're family and I'll always be here. Are you sure you don't want me to come up and wait with you until Jeff comes back?"

"I'll be fine…" Trish reassured as the two shared a long hug before Trish exited the vehicle.

The blonde stood on the pavement as she watched her best friend drive off, this was the first time she was going back to her penthouse, knowing that Jeff wouldn't be there.

-x-x-x-x-

"Dude I'm sorry…" Shannon apologised to Jeff. "Come on I'm not famous, I didn't think, I don't care what I put on facebook, I have pictures of everything on there, I just wasn't thinking…"

Jeff showed his annoyance at his friend but couldn't help but laugh. "Just delete it man…"

"It's deleted don't worry!" Shannon reassured. "C'mon dude it was just the first time we've seen you in years and I just wanted to show people that the great Jeff Hardy and I were still bro's…"

"Nobody knows me and Trish came to Cameron…" Jeff explained. "We're not supposed to be together…"

"But you're both all over the news playing tonsil tennis!" Shannon laughed. "Which I was confused at myself after seeing you tap the sweet brunette's ass in that sex tape… what's her name?"

"Dude… don't tell me you watched the sex tape." Jeff sighed - remembering the debate he had with Jericho at the reunion.

"Yeah me and Crystal watched it together so it wasn't weird…." Shannon shrugged.

"Well as long as it's with Crystal… it doesn't make it weird at all…" Jeff replied sarcastically.

"Yeah exactly!" Shannon beamed, oblivious to Jeff's sarcastic tone. "Trish is a great girl by the way… everybody can see why she's America's Sweetheart… Crystal is obsessed… I think I might have competition actually…"

Jeff chuckled. "I know she is…"

"It's nice to see…" Shannon smiled.

"What's nice?" Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"How in love you two are… it's nice to see after all your controversies, your drug and sex scandals, your partying, your near death experience… you still got the girl." Shannon shrugged. "If that's not true love… I don't know what is…"

"Yeah well I aint got her back just yet…" Jeff admitted. "I thought I did but I'm not so sure anymore…"

"That's bullshit!" Shannon laughed. "Don't you have a flight to be catching?"

"Oh for fuck sake… I'm running late… again!" Jeff rolled his eyes at himself before he embrace Shannon in a bro-hug and the two patted each other on the back. "I gotta run… it was great seeing you man…"

"Don't be a stranger!" Shannon chuckled. "Bring Trish back as well… Crystal would love it… I was meaning to ask you and Trish… have you ever thought of maybe… spicing up your relationship… I know me and Crystal would be more than happy-"

Jeff laughed. "I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that so our friendship doesn't get weird…"

"We got married young… we need to keep things interesting!" Shannon shrugged. "It was worth a try…"

-x-x-x-x-

The blonde sat in her soulless penthouse, she had put the alarm on incase she was to have any unwelcome visitors and ensured security to let her know if somebody was to turn up, she had been pretty lax with security but being on her own highlighted her fears. Trish had been attempting to relax but truth was she felt uneasy being on her own, flashbacks of Shane beating her to a pulp stayed heavy on her mind.

Trish picked up her phone to call Jeff which kept receiving his voicemail.

"It's Jeff Hardy… leave a message, depending who you are I'll give you a call back."

"Hey… it's me… I thought you would've been back in New York by now… call me when you get this message…I love you Hardy…" Trish spoke delicately to the voicemail as she ended the message and looked at her phone, she sat in her bedroom - staring at the closed door as she got up from her bedroom and turned the lock.

-x-x-x-x-

Jeff had landed in New York and Matt had picked him up from the airport, the enigma's phone had died before he boarded the plane and Matt was being secretive about where he was taking him, although the excitement on his face and body language was apparent.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" Jeff raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"I told you it's a surprise!" Matt was grinning from ear to ear doing his best to look casual but failed miserably and decided to change the subject. "So… you took Trish to Cameron…"

"Yeah…" Jeff replied nonchalantly.

"How did she cope?" Matt asked eagerly. "I couldn't picture her in a small town…"

"It was alright…" Jeff shrugged.

"Just alright?" Matt raised an eyebrow, intrigued at what had occured in Jeff and Trish's visit to their hometown.

"Let's just say it's not how I pictured our first visit to Cameron…" Jeff shrugged once again obviously not wanting to elaborate more on the subject.

Matt ignored Jeff's elusive replies as he continued to push the subject. "But you guys have just got back together you should be in the honeymoon period!"

"We're not back together… she's made that much very clear…" Jeff scoffed. "She told me she doesn't want to rush in a relationship and we're moving too fast…"

Matt eyes widened at Jeff. "Yikes…"

"Yeah…" Jeff nodded. "...on the plus side I got to punch Phil again."

"You punched Phil? Wow what else happened?" Matt chuckled.

"I came off my motorbike, I ran away from mom and dad's grave and Trish found out that I lost my virginity to my best friend's wife… this was just in one day" Jeff replied indifferently. "...oh yeah Beth and Rob are married I forgot to tell you last time…"

"Wow…" Matt raised his eyebrows as he digested the news. "Time waits for noone…"

"Yeah… it's crazy… everybody in Cameron is married or getting engaged or having kids… well apart from Rey who's still as single as the day we left… but it's just so different from here…" Jeff chuckled.

"Well yeah… c'mon we're in New York… most marriages end up in divorce or people have affairs and end up with secret love children…" Matt stated. "It's part of it's charm…"

Jeff laughed and nodded his head in agreement as the vehicle came to a halt.

"We're here…" Matt grinned and rubbed his hand menacingly.

"Where?!" Jeff exclaimed as he began to grow confused.

Matt smirked as he got out of the vehicle along with Jeff, the two stood outside a modern and expensive looking apartment blocks. Matt signalled for Jeff to follow him, the two walked through the lobby as they made their way to the elevator.

The two landed on the 19th floor which was just underneath the penthouse suite. Jeff followed Matt as he stood outside the door at the end of the hall, the building was extremely modern in both exterior and interior. As Matt pulled out a key and unlocked the door, he turned to look at his brother with a toothy grin.

"This is a nice pad…" Jeff gave an impressed smile.

The apartment was open-plan so the kitchen and living room and dining area were all in the same room, it was spacious and contemporary.

"I'm officially moving back to New York…" Matt grinned. "It's mine, I just bought it, I was trying to ring you and tell you but you decided to go on the missing list and incommunicado."

"Wow I knew you were thinking about it…" Jeff replied in shock. "..I just didn't believe it I thought you would've got sick of it here and ran back to LA, you loved it there!"

"Yeah well I do love LA… but I'm serious about starting a New York branch of my label, in fact I've even bought a studio and now I've found my bachelor pad…" Matt wiggled his eyebrows, smile still glued to his face. "...I'm back where I belong and that's with my family."

"I'm happy you're sticking around…" Jeff nodded as the two stood awkwardly. "Bro hug or cool guy handshake?"

"Cool guy handshake obviously…" Matt chuckled as the two shook hands before Jeff pulled his brother into a tight hug. "Or bro hug… either is cool…"

As the brother's separated from their hug, Matt looked at his brother. "Jeff… I know you've not been thinking about your music career at the moment… but… I would really like you to reconsider finishing your album with me, c'mon we'll be reunited… The Hardy Boyz…"

"I don't know man…" Jeff rubbed the back of his neck, the uncertainty was evidence in his voice.

"Well JBL has brought the rights to your music, your free from your old label and it can really be a fresh start for you… music is your passion… that's why you started recording right?" Matt shrugged.

"He bought the rights to my music? He shouldn't have that must've cost a fortune!" Jeff gasped.

"Think of it as an investment…" Matt smirked. "C'mon brother… let's do this… you've been so focused on Trish since you have been out of rehab, you need to focus on rebuilding your own life and the best way to start is with your music career…"

Jeff raised an eyebrow at Matt who was grinning and nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Say yes… c'mon…"

"Fine…" Jeff rolled his eyes playfully. "But this doesn't mean your my boss!"

"We're a team!" Matt reassured his younger brother. "I have a few things to sort out with the studios but once that's sorted we'll get straight to work…"

Jeff nodded as he glanced over the apartment one more time - he was proud of Matt, Jeff always knew his brother would do great things and it was lovely to see his hard work paying off.

"Shit I best charge my phone!" Jeff chuckled as he whipped out his charger from his suitcase and place his cell phone on the kitchen island. "I need to phone Trish…"

"Dude you know… maybe she is right…" Matt began to speak. "Look I know you both love each other, I'm not disputing that fact but you've not spent a day without Trish since you've been out maybe just give her some time to be on her own…. And yourself…"

"I love her Matt and I want to be with her!" Jeff replied defensively.

"I'm not saying you won't end up with her but find out who you are without Trish… your whole adult life has been devoted to her and what if you keep pushing this so hard you push her away altogether?" Matt explained. "She obviously thinks it's going to fast, give her some space, focus on your music for a while and you can even move in here for a bit… you know it makes sense…"

"Maybe you're right…" Jeff frowned.

As Jeff's phone turned back on, he noticed a voicemail and missed call from Trish. He picked up his phone and dialled her number as he placed the cell to his ear.

-x-x-x-x-

Trish's heart fluttered when she seen Jeff's name on her phone, she was relieved that he had called her back, she missed his presence and realised how stupid she had been to tell him she didn't want a relationship just yet, she had been waiting for this moment since she had broke up with him.

"Hey…" Trish smiled as she placed the phone to her ear. "I was worried you might have stayed in Cameron and I was never going to see you again…"

Jeff chuckled weakly on the other side of the phone. "Trish I'm going to stay with Matt for a while, I've been thinking about what you said and you're right…"

Trish smile faded as her heart sank. "Oh…"

"...we don't need to rush back into anything I think we both need to find out who we are without each other, I still love you and I'm not going to start going on dates or sleeping around so don't think it's anything to do with that, I just think I need to figure out who I am without you…"

Trish closed her eyes, she couldn't blame him for what he was saying, she was the one who planted the seed but she instantly regretted ever saying anything.

"Trish are you there?" Jeff replied as the blonde remained silent on the other side of the line.

"Yeah… er… I don't really know what to say…" Trish replied weakly.

"This was your idea Trish…" Jeff reminded the blonde.

"I know…" Trish sighed.

The two sat in silence but neither wanted to put the phone down.

Jeff was the first to break the silence. "I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere…"

"I get it Hardy… I really do…" Trish replied trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"I love you Trish…" Jeff announced sadly. "I love you so much…"

"I love you too Hardy." Trish stated as her eyes were closed in attempt to hold back the tears.

What had she done?


	23. 24 Hours

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE SUPERSTARS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

 **LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER AMERICAN IDIOT BY GREENDAY.**

 **A/N - NEW UPDATE, READ & REVIEW, I LOVE READING YOUR REVIEWS HONESTLY! THANKS FOR YOUR REPEATED SUPPORT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I FIND IT EASIER WRITING THIS STORY COMPARED TO 'WHAT NOW?' AS THIS IS AU WHERE WHAT NOW IS BASED ON THE ACTUAL STORYLINES OF WWF/E SO IF I UPDATE THIS MORE REGULARLY THAT'S THE REASON. EXAMPLE - IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS TO WRITE A CHAPTER FOR WHAT NOW AND IT TOOK ME AROUND 4 HOURS TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER :) **

After yet another night with more lack of sleep Trish's alarm finally went off - between the nightmares, the tossing and turning and the sudden instant reaction of jumping up out of bed and ensuring her bedroom door was locked and her penthouse alarm was activated (despite checking it previously) Trish had worked out she had around two and a half hours sleep all night.

As Trish turned her alarm off which wasn't entirely useful as she had already been awake for half an hour the blonde rolled over to face the empty side of the bed as she placed her arm and began to rub the sheets where she been accustomed to Jeff sleeping next to her, she missed him, it had become natural for her to wake up and for him to be there, sleeping comfortably side by side, the way he would randomly pull her closer to his bare body in the middle of the night while he was sound asleep and cuddled into her like she was his favourite teddy bear and he was a five year old boy. She knew she had made a mistake.

The blonde sighed as she cautiously picked herself up from her king size bed and slowly unlocked her bedroom door as she scanned her penthouse quickly.

' _Jeff was right, it was my idea - sure I didn't want him to move into Matt's but I planted the seed, I pushed him away, now deal with the consequences...'_ Trish thought to herself. ' _..but I miss him… oh Patricia… you've really messed this up'_

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff rolled over as he began to wake from his sleep, it wasn't the worst sleep he ever had, in fact his new double bed was comfortable but it didn't match up to the feeling of waking up with the woman of his dreams. He rolled over to the empty side of his bed as he imagined Trish laying next to him, he stroked the empty sheets as he released a sigh.

The enigma stood up from his bed, he stretched his arms in the air as he let out a long yawn. He looked at himself with his blond hair which he was growing bored of already, if he was going to pursue a career in music again, he would have to do something about the plan hair on his head.

The young Hardy opened his bedroom door as he saw Matt dancing around the kitchen in his boxers as he was cooking some breakfast and singing one of Team Xtreme's old songs.

' _Welcome to a new kind of tension_

 _All across the alien nation_

 _Where everything isn't meant to be okay_

 _Television dreams of tomorrow_

 _We're not the ones who're meant to follow_

 _For that's enough to argue_

 _Well maybe I'm the faggot America_

 _I'm not a part of a redneck agenda_

 _Now everybody do the propaganda_

 _And sing along to the age of paranoia'_

Jeff laughed causing the oldest Hardy to jump at the surprise of his brother being up so early, while he was distracted, the oil from the bacon hit Matt's bare chest causing him to shriek as a high pitch squeal left his lungs which just fueled Jeff's laughter even more.

"Dude! What the fuck are you doing up at this time! I didn't expect you up until midday!" Matt frowned as he turned down the heat on the stove.

"That was when we were like seventeen…" Jeff scoffed. "And if you say when we were on tour it doesn't count because I barely slept at all…"

Matt rolled his eyes playfully as he pour the mixture of eggs into a pan and began to scramble them. "You know I'm excited about this project, the brothers are back together, this is going to be your best album yet, I've been listening to our old stuff as Team Xtreme and we kicked ass man!"

"It can't be a team Xtreme reunion without Amy…" Jeff added.

Matt paused for a second before laughing off the comment as he continued to stir the eggs, ensuring they didn't stick to the pan. "So I was thinking I'm getting the keys to the studio today maybe we could go and mess around a bit on the guitars and drums… see if any inspiration rises… then take it from there…"

"Yeah cool man…" Jeff replied indifferently. "So why don't you ask Amy to come?"

"Look Jeff I'm not trying to get Team Xtreme back together, I just want to help you with your album…" Matt stated as he began to place the bacon on the plate.

"Yeah well maybe I want her on a feature…" Jeff smirked.

Matt sighed as he continued to stir the eggs, waiting for them to solidify a bit more. "I know what you're trying to do Jeff… you know since we stopped messing around… things have been weird between me and Amy… I don't think it's a good idea to try and convince her to sign on my label."

"Which is why I have no idea why you'd start fucking your ex when you've finally just got back on good terms with her…" Jeff replied as Matt rolled his eyes. "...but this will help you get back on track to being friends, c'mon it'd be great to get Amy back into music and hopefully her featuring on my song will inspire her to do her own music… it'll be good for her… I've noticed the difference in her since she came back into our lives and maybe if we remind her about her passion for music we can also remind her how to be herself again."

"She's not going to want to do it…" Matt replied in a high-pitch, know-it-all tone.

"You don't know unless you try…" Jeff smirked as he mimicked Matt's tone.

"Fine… I'll ask her to come to the studio later…" Matt huffed in defeat as he poured the eggs on his plate, he placed the plate on the kitchen bar where Jeff was sitting on a stool as he turned his back to place the pans in the sink.

Jeff chuckled as he pushed the plate to him and started eating the breakfast that Matt had just been cooking. Matt turned around and eyes widened.

"Oh no I don't think so!" Matt fumed,

Jeff smirked as he picked up the three pieces of bacon and licked them. "My germs…"

"I'm starting to regret asking you to move in with me…" Matt scowled as he picked up the pans from the sink and raided the fridge for more bacon and eggs.

"You're not the only one…" Jeff mumbled to himself as he thought about Trish - he missed her, sure it was fun staying with his brother, relieving their youth as housemates but it wasn't the same as being in the company of Trish.

Matt heard the comment that Jeff made under his breath and turned to face his younger brother who looked deep in thought as he ate the remainder of the breakfast he had stole. "You did the right thing you know… absence makes the heart grow fonder…"

"There's another saying out of sight… out of mind…" Jeff frowned, sulkingly eating a piece of fluffy eggs of the fork.

"Bro… it's you and Trish… when have either off you been out of sight and out of each other's minds?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you've said you're never getting back together your both just taking time out to focus on yourselves... It's not a big deal…"

"I hope not…" Jeff sighed. "I'm going to phone her…"

Jeff went to grab his cell phone in front of him and was surprised to see Matt's hand grab it out of his reach. Jeff gave Matt a confused look as he jumped off of the stool and attempted to take the phone back in which his brother just moved further away from him.

"Dude… give me my phone!" Jeff looked in shock at his brother.

"No you're going to give her some space, it's not even been twenty four hours since you last spoke to her, I'm not sure it's even been twelve hours!" Matt stated.

"Stop playing Matt, it's her first night being alone and I want to make sure she's okay!" Jeff growled. "Something could've happened to her, Shane's back in New York!"

"I'm sure you told me he's got a restraining order on her, Trish will be fine and it will be good for her to be on her own, you're both becoming codependent and it's not healthy." Matt replied calmly as he placed Jeff's phone in his boxers. "If you want the phone come and get it…"

"You're sanitizing that phone before you give it me back…" Jeff replied stroppily as he sat back on the stool and finished his breakfast. "You've got some nerve talking about what's healthy when I can taste the amount of butter you've put in these eggs… did you literally use a full pack?"

"Oh I'm sorry that you robbed my breakfast and it's not upto your standards…" Matt scoffed.

Jeff smirked as Matt's back was turned and the bacon sizzled behind him.

"What's so funny?" Matt frowned.

Jeff shook his head as he attempted to hide the amusement on his face. Matt sniffed up as he noticed what his brother found so funny as he turned to find his bacon burning. As Matt took his attention to salvage the remainder of his breakfast, Jeff walked back into his room still chuckling at his brother's inconvenience.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"So I've put some money into your account until we get the papers for you to officially become my partner, think of it as payment for all the hours you have been putting in on my behalf, you will share my office for now eventually I will get your own so it is only temporary…" Trish announced as she smiled showing Stephanie her new desk and her office which had been rearranged for her new partner. "...I'm so excited for this journey I honestly can't wait to watch this business grow with our partnership."

"Trish… are you sure you want to go through with this?" Stephanie asked. "I mean are you sure you are really thinking this through?"

"I've just rearrange my whole damn office of course I thought this through!" Trish chuckled. "It's the best thing for this business, I can now put my attention solely on the fashion and publicity side of things and get back to doing what I love!"

"Well if you're sure!" Stephanie smiled as she placed herself in the seat and her new desk, tracing her fingers across the desk and inhaled deeply. "I can already see the tears of our employees flooding this office…"

"Yeah about that I know how you can get so… use discipline when necessary but don't make them suicidal Steph…" Trish chuckled. "I don't want a repeat of our high school years, you know lawsuits, making people move states… that sort of thing…"

Stephanie chuckled evilly. "We should totally do the whole good boss, bad boss act…"

"I didn't realise that was an act…" Trish raised her eyebrow and Stephanie shrugged proudly.

As the two girls fitted into their new office and the jokes and laughter began to creep in, an unexpected guest flew through the door like a whirlwind full of energy.

"Yo Thunder Thighs… where the hell have you been I'm sick of coming into the office to find the TrashBag Hoe-" Chris stopped as he noticed Stephanie sat on her desk with her eyes narrowed at the enthusiastic playboy millionaire. "Do you like live her now or something?"

"Actually you're looking at Trish's new business partner!" Stephanie smiled blankly. "Now hopefully my presence will stop unwanted visitors from just turning up when they feel like it."

"You do have that effect on people princess…" Chris shot back.

"You know what you remind me of… a summers day… you start to enjoy it then boom a wasp comes and stings you…" Stephanie replied back with a sarcastic smile.

"So you're saying I'm hot like a summer's day right?" Chris grinned.

"You're the wasp… not the summer's day… just to clarify." Stephanie sniggered.

"Nice to see you two are back to normal." Trish chuckled as the insults went back and forth between her two best friends. "What's up Chris?"

"What's up?" Chris scoffed. "You disappeared off the face of New York City!"

"I took a few days to myself…" Trish replied.

"You do know who you are right?" Chris asked seriously, his eyebrow kinked. "You're Trish Stratus… you're America's sweetheart… you're an icon… you're also not allowed to take a few days to yourself… especially without telling me where you're going!"

"I tried to explain this to her…" Stephanie piped up.

Trish rolled her eyes at Chris and Steph "Duly noted."

"So I'm guessing your boyfriend has something to do with your disappearance…" Chris said as he sat in Trish's seat and placed his feet on her desk, making himself comfortable in an arrogant way.

Stephanie smirked at Chris. "He's not her boyfriend, apparently Trish has commitment issues now…"

Trish couldn't help but chuckle at Chris and Steph, they were acting like they normally would and it made her feel better if anything. They had been so caring and worried about the blonde's mental state that they had cut out the roasting, the sassiness and the bitchy comments. It felt like things were getting back to normal - it made her feel sane.

"Look me and Jeff… we're slowing things down…" Trish explained.

"I thought I told you about this?" Stephanie sighed as she looked at Chris. "She's sabotaging herself…"

Chris rolled his eyes dramatically before facing Trish. "Really?"

"I'm not sabotaging myself, Jeff agreed with me that we should slow things down and he's moved in with Matt…" Trish replied casually as if she wasn't bothered - she was lying, she hated it, she hated herself for even thinking she wanted things to slow down between them but the last thing she wanted right now was for Steph to have the satisfaction of saying 'I told you so'

"Jeff slow down? If you were a red light, he'd be running straight through it honey." Chris replied as him and Steph began to nod at each other in agreement.

"He's only saying that because you told him you didn't want to rush into a relationship and you only said that because you're scared of things going wrong…" Stephanie pointed out.

"Now that is something I can believe…" Jericho chuckled. "Just phone him and tell him you made a mistake and you can live happily ever after…"

"I don't need to phone him…" Trish replied defensively, she was lying again, she did want to phone him, she wanted to tell him she changed her mind and he was right and she wanted to stop wasting time but the stubbornness began to kick in. "...I'm fine and we have made the right decision… it's not like we're saying we're never getting back together… we're just…"

"Wasting time?" Chris added.

"That's what I said!" Stephanie chuckled.

"Ermmmm since you want to talk about my love life, let's talk about you two!" Trish grinned.

"And on that note… Stratus… Trash Bag…." Chris jumped up off the seat and darted out the office, giving the girls a quick salute as he left the office.

Trish smirked at Stephanie as she took her seat and stared at her with a smug look.

"What?" Stephanie asked, acting oblivious.

"Look at you two… bonding…" Trish teased.

"You should phone Jeff…" Stephanie stared at Trish blankly.

"You should talk to Jericho…" Trish smirked back.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Trish, showing no amusement. "Just admit you miss him…"

"Just admit you love him." Trish hit back.

Stephanie frowned as she scrunched up a piece of paper and threw it at the blonde who was facing her.

"That wasn't very professional now was it Stephanie…" Trish continued to annoy Steph who pretended to wind her middle finger until it was completely erect.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff and Matt sat in the new studios that Matt had just purchased as the expansion for TwistOfFate Records. It was modern and high tech, Jeff raised an eyebrow at how Matt had actually afforded it, sure he had money behind him - Jeff just didn't realise how much.

"It's awesome right?" Matt grinned proudly as he sat in the studio and messed around with the guitar on his knee.

"You done good brother…" Jeff nodded. "I can't believe you left your ex in control of the LA Branch, I mean can you really trust her?"

"Ashley is a good person, we were friends before we dated briefly, don't get me wrong I messed up with her but we agreed nothing would change if our relationship didn't work… when I went back to LA, everything was cool between us and our friendship is better than it's ever been." Matt explained. "She's a great singer, she's focusing on her own album which I have gave her complete creative freedom over, don't get me wrong I have final say on everything, I'll be visiting LA when I need to because I'm still in control but she knows her shit man…"

"It's great you can be friends with Ashley like that…" Jeff said. "Why can't it be that simple with Amy?"

"Ashley's not Amy…" Matt announced. "I loved Amy… I never loved Ashley… but I can try and make it simple, I'm going to try and be friends with Amy..."

Matt and Jeff watched the door to the studio open as Amy stood in front of them.

"Speak of the devil…" Jeff grinned as he stood up and gave his best friend a bear hug. "I'm glad you've come Ames…"

"I feel like I've got in a time machine…" Amy chuckled. "Team Xtreme in the same studio, who would've thought this would ever happen again…"

Matt looked at Amy as he stood up from the chair and walked over to Amy, the two smiled uncomfortably at each other as they hugged each other awkwardly. They hadn't spoken properly since they stopped sleeping with each other, sure they lived at JBL's but they tried to avoid each other as much as possible, especially since Amy slept with Adam again - she couldn't bring herself to look in Matt's eyes. Yet the redhead seen this opportunity to become friends with Matt - like they agreed when they finished hooking up.

"Let's jaaaaam…" Jeff replied in a 'cool guy' tone as he attempted to lift the atmosphere in the room.

Amy and Matt burst into laughter as Jeff's tactic obviously worked, making the tension in the room dissolve and the mood to lift.

"Dude… don't ever say that in that voice ever again…" Matt scoffed.

"Next thing you'll be growing dreadlocks..." Amy teased.

Amy and Matt made eye contact once again, this time when they smiled, they were genuine. Perhaps it was being back in the environment of a studio and memories of the good old days flooding back but they felt in that moment - hope they could eventually regain the friendship they had lost many years ago.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"I've got your lunch guys…" Mickie chirped enthusiastically as she placed her bosses meals on their desks, her grin never wavered as she looked between them and gushed. "I still can't believe this… I mean Trish Stratus and Stephanie McMahon are my bosses!"

Stephanie smiled sweetly at Mickie, she found her cute and bubbly. Trish half-smiled, she found her annoying and creepy.

"Well you will probably be working more with Stephanie as of this week… she will need you to help her run the business side of things… I will be focusing on the fashion side of things." Trish replied.

Mickie frowned slightly, she was disappointed. She applied for this job to be working with Trish Stratus and as exciting as it was that Stephanie was no involved, she didn't want to be spending any less time with her idol. Trish was her inspiration, her motivation and she had barely spent any time with her since had started working at the company, to now be found out that she will be working with Stephanie had upset her.

"Well… actually… I mean I told you I want to get into fashion design… I've got some designs-" Mickie smiled enthusiastically as she tried to hide the disappointment in tone and voice.

"Mickie you're an assistant… you will do what I tell you… and I'm telling you that Stephanie is your new go-to…. You report to her and you help her… end of discussion…" Trish shot down.

Stephanie's eyes widened at Trish - she was normally America's Sweetheart and as bitchy as Stephanie could be, Mickie was so sweet; she felt bad for the girl who obviously just wanted to impress Trish.

"I'm sorry… of course… enjoy your lunch." Mickie grinned back as she left the office.

"Trish… I thought I was bad boss…" Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "You're supposed to be the good boss… the nice boss… don't take my role!"

"I know I just don't know what it is about her… she's just too…" Trish furrowed her brow as she tried to put her finger on Mickie.

"Nice?" Stephanie scoffed. "You're too nice!"

"No… I can't explain it…" Trish sighed. "I'm just going to leave you to deal with her…"

"You know I'm not soft right?" Stephanie asked.

"You once made a girl walk around in her bra because she wore the same shirt as you on non-uniform day… I know you're not soft Steph…" Trish laughed.

"Exactly… but Mickie is just eager to please… you're like her role model… you should try and be nicer to her… she really admires you." Stephanie suggested to the blonde.

Trish shrugged. "It's just creepy…"

"Mickie's harmless!" Stephanie laughed. "I don't think she could bang a drum without flinching."

"Hmmm yeah… maybe you're right… maybe I just miss Melina…" Trish sighed.

"Have you spoke to her?" Stephanie asked.

"Not since the reunion… I'm worried about her… the last thing she said to me is she knows I was looking out for her… I think things may have got worse…" Trish frowned as she could imagine the terrible emotional and physical abuse she was receiving from the man she apparently loved. "Yet there's nothing I can do… I've tried ringing her and the number is disconnected, she is never at her apartment…"

"Well maybe that's because you're trying to get in touch with her?" Stephanie insinuated.

"What do you mean?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"Well look Batista knows you're onto him and he's going to keep you as far away from her as possible but he only met me briefly at your fashion show, maybe I should try and get in touch with her?" Stephanie offered.

"Really?" Trish's eyes lit up at the news Stephanie would try and speak to Melina on her behalf.

"Yeah… I think that way you might have a shot of knowing whether she's okay or not…" Stephanie smiled. "I'm worried about her too, after seeing what Shane did to you, I wouldn't want anybody to ever get put through that… I'll find her…"

Trish nodded and smiled sadly at the thought of Melina - she managed to escape the clutches of Shane's evil, Melina had not been that fortunate with Dave Batista.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

It was the end of the working day and as promised Stephanie had gone to Melina's apartment, she knocked on the door in which she had no response. The brunette banged harder which caused a neighbour to come out. Stephanie was surprised to see a familiar face.

"Y'all wanna shut the fuck up y'all banging on the motherfuckin' door for the last fifteen minutes-"

"R Truth? Weren't you like Jeff's groupie or something?" Stephanie replied.

"Oh you that yat that chill with J Hardy's wifey…" R Truth raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "Dayummm shawty why ya rollin thru these ends, ya don't roll round 'ere"

"I'm looking for Melina, she's my friend, she lives next door…" Stephanie responded, her voice turned into a snobby tone as R Truth used his slang.

"Nah ya homegirl aint live der no more… peoples be looking to move in deya… viewin's an' that shit…" R Truth responded as he sparked up a joint and blew it in Stephanie's face.

The brunette coughed and wafted the smoke away from her as she pulled a disgusted face.

"...look sis… I moved here few weeks ago… no bitch named Melina live der." R Truth shrugged.

"Right… noted…" Stephanie replied. "So why are you living here? Aren't you like a huge rapper or something?"

"Nah homegirl ain't you read the news… I got dropped when J Hardy dropped…" R Truth replied with a bitter tone. "But fuck that… my boy don't even wanna drop a guy a text, can't hit me up no more… it's cool… I see peoples are fake…"

"He's just got out of rehab after a drug overdose…" Steph said with disbelief as she couldn't believe the way R Truth was speaking about his supposed best friend. "The phone works both ways honey…"

"Look bitch… get out my fuckin face… you killin my buzz…" R Truth sniggered as he slammed the door in the brunette's face.

"What a jackass…" Steph scoffed to herself.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Amy let me use your phone…" Jeff asked Amy as they finished, messing around with their instruments.

Matt shook his head ferociously. "No don't!"

"Why?" Amy chuckled.

"He wants to phone Trish and they've agreed to slow things down…" Matt reminded his brother. "So phoning her isn't going to help that."

"Look I want to speak to her and make sure she's okay…" Jeff replied annoyed. "I get what you're trying to do but I am going to end up with Trish and she will be my wife one day and I want to make sure my future wife is okay… now Amy let me phone her…"

"Sorry Matt… I'm a total fan of Trish Hardy… I gotta let him call her…" Amy smiled innocently as she gave Jeff her phone.

Matt dropped his jaw. "Amy!"

"They love each other!" Amy replied. "Look they're totally endgame… we all know it…"

Jeff stood outside the studio booth as he dialled Trish's number.

' _Hello, you've reached Trish Stratus, I'm unable to take your call at the moment, if you leave your name, your reason for calling and your contact details I will be sure to call you back… if it's a business related topic… you can phone into StratusFashion Headquarters, our phone lines are open from 8:30am - 6:30pm…"_

Jeff sighed as her phone went straight to voicemail.

"Hey darlin' it's Jeff… Matt confiscated my phone… it's a long story… I was just calling to see how you're doing… we've not really spoke since last night… call me when you can in fact-"

Jeff placed Amy's phone on the side as he ran out of the building which didn't do unnoticed by Matt and Amy.

"Oh for god sake this fucking guy man!" Matt exhaled in frustration.

"Why are you getting so annoyed? You were in love once… you would've done the same thing." Amy smiled sadly as she remembered the times that her and Matt were happily in love.

Matt looked at Amy and sighed - he knew she was right.

"I know…" Matt chuckled. "He's got it bad man…"

"Do you want to grab my phone for me?" Amy replied as she snuggled into the chair.

"Why can't you?" Matt laughed.

"Please…." Amy pouted. "You're closer to the door…"

Matt rolled his eyes playfully as he reluctantly when to get Amy's phone,as he stepped outside to where her phone was - he noticed a message come through from Adam.

 _Adam: You can't pretend like this didn't happen  
Adam: Will you just pick up the phone?  
Adam: I see you're still not replying  
Adam: Amy… please… don't do this again_

Matt continued to read through the text messages as his eyes widened, his blood boiled through his body. Did Amy sleep with Adam… again? He knew she had been to see him 'to give her a piece of her mind' perhaps it was a piece of her body that he had received instead.

Matt stormed into the booth as he held her phone in his hands, anger evident on his face. "You think you're funny, is this supposed to hurt me Amy? You slept with Adam again? I'm supposed to care? That's why you tell me to pick up your phone?"

Amy's face dropped when she realised she had seen the messages Adam had been sending her since she left his office, he had been messaging her every day as he attempted to get her to talk to him.

"That was the reason you asked me to pick up your phone so that I would find out, do you think this will make me jealous or make me want you back? You whoring around isn't going to make me want you again Amy!" Matt replied aggressively.

"It wasn't like that Matt!" Amy scoffed. "I didn't know he was going to message me again! I'm not trying to win back Matt you've made it clear that's never going to happen and that's why I didn't feel the need to tell you about Adam…"

Matt scoffed in disbelief, truth was he was livid.

"...I didn't mean for it to happen, in fact I felt disgusted with myself when I came out of the office but you know what I realised, it was my mistake to make and I'm single… I'm not doing anything wrong…" Amy sighed. "I didn't want you to find out but I'm kind of glad that you have because if you really want to be friends like you said… you've got to accept I might date and sleep with guys…"

"I get that Ames… I do… it'll kill me but I've made my choice… I don't want to be with you anymore... but I still love you and it still hurts knowing that once again you've slept with Adam… you can't tell me that there's nothing there for him!" Matt scoffed.

"If you look through the messages you will see I've not replied once." Amy defended herself.

"You don't get it… you could sleep with anyone you wanted and you chose him… again." Matt let out a defeated sigh. "I'm trying to be friends with you Amy and then you do something like this and you make it really hard…"

"I'm sorry Matt…" Amy smiled sadly. "I'm gonna go…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As Trish sat in her bedroom, the silent alarm triggered causing her to go into self-defence mode. She peaked through her bedroom door as she saw a hooded man walk through her penthouse, she grabbed a hairdryer that lay on her vanity table as she snuck up behind the man and whacked him over the head.

"OW!"

"Jeff?" Trish replied in shock as the man fell to the floor and the hood draped off of his head. "What the hell are you doing! I could've killed you!"

Jeff laughed as he rubbed his bump on his head. "Imagine that… I survive an overdose then get hit with death by a hairdryer…"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with Matt?" Trish asked as she helped him back onto his feet.

"I am but your phone was off so I thought I'd come and check on you." Jeff admitted.

Trish couldn't help but smile at his response. "I lost my phone, I think I might have left it at work or something… if not I'll just get a new one."

"So you've not got a phone on you right now?" Jeff raised his eyebrow. "That settles it…"

"What?" Trish chuckled.

"I'm not leaving you in here, on your own, with you crazy, stalking ass ex back in the streets of New York…" Jeff announced. "I'm sorry until you get your phone I'm gonna have to stay."

Trish laughed as Jeff's facial expression was extremely serious.

"I missed you!" Trish smiled as she wrapped Jeff in a tight hug. Jeff closed his eyes as he embraced her pleasant scent. It had only been twenty hours since they last spoke - twenty four hours was too long. He could spend an eternity with the blonde but it would never be enough.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Mickie sat in her home in Queens, she lived in a box apartment. It was nothing special in fact it was broken down and gloomy, the apartment was full of damp and mould, the appliances and furniture were old and stained, it was far from the superior penthouse that Trish Stratus lived in.

The brunette scanned the room, headlines and posters and candid pictures of her blonde icon were plastered all over the wall and framed in pictures on her furniture. She was obsessed.

Mickie looked at a phone on the coffee table as she waited for it to turn on.

 _1 New Voicemail from Amy Dumas._

" _Hey darlin' it's Jeff… Matt confiscated my phone… it's a long story… I was just calling to see how you're doing… we've not really spoke since last night… call me when you can in fact-"_


	24. Blue Moon

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.  
LYRICS USED IN THIS CHAPTER - 'MAKE ME WANNA DIE - THE PRETTY RECKLESS'**

 **A/N - FALSE ALARM TURNS OUT ALL I NEEDED TO DO TO GET SOME INSPIRATION IS ACTUALLY PLAN WHERE THIS STORY IS GOING TO GO LOL I'VE GOT IT ALL SUSSED OUT NOW AND IF YOU THINK THE DRAMA IS ENDING ANYTIME SOON... WELL... IT ISN'T LOL THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS ON BOTH MY STORIES, I LOVE HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK AND IF YOU COULD READ N REVIEW AS USUAL IT'D BE APPRECIATED. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER.**

As Trish's alarm went off to indicate the start of the next day, she flicked over and felt her arm brush over Jeff's bare chest. Her hazel eyes opened and a smile escaped from her lips as he slowly opened his mind and let out a tired moan.

"What time is it?" Jeff groaned, his eyes flickering from open to closed.

Trish chuckled. "It's time for me to get ready for work…"

As Trish attempted to get out of her king size bed, she felt Jeff's hand gently grab her arm and pull her back, causing her to fall back to him and a loud giggle to be released in the process.

"What do you think you're doing?" Trish asked with a cheesy grin on her face as Jeff refused to let go off her instead rolling her in front of him in the fetus position while he cuddled her from behind and pretending to go back to sleep.

"I don't want you to go…" Jeff mumbled as he kissed the bottom of her neck and rested his head on her shoulder inhaling her natural scent in the process. "Your the boss you can be late."

Trish couldn't help laugh as she flipped herself over so she was facing him, as she moved to face him, their eyes locked onto one another, his green eyes penetrating her hazel eyes.

"Hardy…" Trish sang with a soothing tone.

"What is it darlin'" Jeff grinned as he saw the fresh-face blonde in front of him, her hair was messy and needed a good brush and she had some serious morning breath but he couldn't help but still think she was the most creation.

"I'm going to go and get a shower… maybe you can join me…" Trish smirked as she bit her lip seductively and jumped off of the bed, Jeff stuck his head up eagerly as Trish pulled his baggy tee that she used as pyjamas over her head, dropping it on her white marble flooring as she strutted naked to the bathroom, her hips shaking from side to side as her ass jiggled with every step. Jeff licked his lips, analysing her as she was flaunting her curvaceous body. "Well… are you coming?" The blonde called from the ensuite bathroom.

Jeff jumped up eagerly as he dropped his boxers, almost tripping over them as he rushed to the bathroom after her.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris woke up to the hotel phone ringing in his presidential suite, he looked at the time - confusion crossed his mind, he didn't set a wake up call. The blond male sluggishly picked up the phone, placing it to his ear.

"Hi Chris… your father wants to see you in an hour in his office…" The receptionist announced chirpily on the other end, he couldn't remember her name despite her working there for almost two years. The enthusiasm in her voice was infuriating, Chris wasn't a morning person at the best of times - especially when he was woken up.

"Yeah… yeah… got it sunshine…" Chris rolled his eyes as he placed the phone down and stretched out his body.

For a while he didn't move, he just stared at the ceiling, lately he had been feeling quite alone. Chris had never been needy and he was happy doing his own thing he had many conquests in his life and he was never short of a sexual partner but he had been sleeping around since he lost virginity in freshman year (to his father's assistant at the time who later got fired when his old man found out) and the idea of a relationship freaked him out (exception being Stephanie but that had seemed to hit a dead end) he couldn't get thoughts about his future and lifestyle choices out of his head. Would he ever settle down? Would he ever grow out of sleeping with different women to fill the empty void in his heart from his mother's absence? Would he always be alone?

' _Dude you're acting like a total chick, your life is awesome, what have you got to be sad about?'_ Chris thought to himself as he shook of the empty feeling that was consuming him and skipped to the shower as he prepared to see his father. The two hadn't spoken for a few months, he was probably travelling and focusing on his businesses - nothing new there.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish had finished drying her hair, her towel wrapped around her as she sang to herself and danced away in the mirror, her eyes closed and unaware that Jeff was stood at the bathroom door and chuckled to himself as he watched Trish try to hit the high notes - it sounded the equivalent of a cat being strangled - but for the first time in months, she looked genuinely happy.

As her hazel eyes opened, she jumped back, pointing the hairdryer at Jeff which was still blowing hot air out. "You scared me!" Trish giggled as she turned off the hairdryer and turned on her straighteners to get rid of any frizz that was present in her golden mane.

Jeff continued to stand at the door, a content smile as he watched the blonde begin to straighten her hair, she knew he was staring at her and after a couple of minutes, she turned to face him with a confused smile on her face.

"Why are you just staring at me?" Trish chuckled. "You're looking at me with serious stalker eyes…"

"It's nice to see you happy, I've not seen you dance or sing in a long time…" Jeff shrugged as he slowly walked over to her.

"I haven't in a long time…" Trish admitted as she continued to straighten her hair but continued to make eye contact with him through the mirror. "...even before losing the baby, I kind of forgot what being happy felt like… then you came back into my life… put me back together… thank you Hardy… you've made me feel like me again…"

Jeff smiled as he placed himself behind the blonde and kissed her on her cheek. "My pleasure, thank you for letting me…"

As Jeff was walking out of the bathroom, Trish finished straightening her hair and placed the straighteners on the counter top and turned to look at the man walking away. "Hardy…"

Jeff turned to face the blonde, nodding at her calling his name.

"So… you know how like… I was acting crazy… saying… y'know… that stuff..." Trish rambled as she bit her lip anxiously. "...so I know I said that… but I didn't… err...mean it… well I did mean it… but that was at the time… now I've realized… well you know what I'm saying don't you?"

Jeff chuckled, raising his eyebrow as he shook his head. "Not really, didn't get any of that."

Trish laughed as she walked towards him and took his hand into hers, she blushed slightly as she tried to find the words to say to him. "Soo…y'know us… and what I said…. I was wrong… I've said that already right… well… yeah… I was thinking… y'know..."

Jeff chuckled as he watched the blonde struggle with the words, he knew what she wanted to say but he found it amusing watching her choke and splutter. "Is there something you want to ask me Trish Stratus?"

Trish smirked as she narrowed her eyes at him, she knew that he knew what she wanted to ask but she also knew he wouldn't let her off that easy, not after the big deal she made about taking things slow. "So…. basically… I was wrong… I mean I've said that right… erm…. Y'know maybe we could… yeah…."

"You've still not asked anything?" Jeff teased.

Trish couldn't hide the grin that was forming on her face, her stubbornness was kicking in and she didn't want to ask him, simply because of how much satisfaction he was getting out of the moment. "Oh c'mon you know what I'm trying to say, can you just put me out of my misery?!"

Jeff shook his head, acting oblivious, the whole time a smug expression on his face. "I honestly have no idea..."

Trish scrunched her face in frustration as she realized he was really going to make her say it. "Jeffrey Nero Hardy… I was wrong and I love you and I want to be your girlfriend… officially."

"Ohhh… yeah… I don't think it's going to work…" Jeff replied seriously.

Trish's face dropped and she hit him in the chest with a gasp which caused Jeff to burst into laughter and break character. "I'm joking…"

"You really made me work for it huh?" Trish rolled her eyes humorously.

"You kind of deserved it…" Jeff smirked.

The enigma picked her up by her waist, holding her high in the air and spinned her around, as they both began to giggle and Trish began to scream dramatically.

"Stop! I'm getting dizzy!" Trish laughed hysterically as Jeff finally put her back on her feet in front of him.

As Trish's dizziness began to wear off, her laughing began to die down as she locked eyes with the enigma, god she never got bored of looking in those eyes. "I love you boyfriend…"

"Oh say it again…" Jeff smirked as he leaned in towards her.

"Boyfriend…" Trish smirked as she slowly leaned in towards the man who towered over her.

"One more time…" Jeff spoke barely louder than a whisper.

"Boyfriend…" Trish whispered back before their lips touched, their heads angled so they could deepen the kiss, slow and passionate as the electricity began to run through their bodies.

The kiss was thrilling, her body began to tingle, no ecstacy in the world could compare to the feeling when their lips collided, the kiss began to deepen and became more desirous as their tongues massaged against one another and their bodies moved closer. As Jeff dropped Trish's towel and picked her petite body up in his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carefully carried her back on the kingsize bed, placing her on her back as they finally came up for air. "I told you I've got work… I'm going to be late!"

Jeff nodded as if he was listening, the whole time he planted wet kisses on her neck, shoulder and collarbone, he hit a soft spot which he remembered was one of the blonde's weakness, this caused an euphoric moan to escape from her plump lips.

"Well.. er… I guess… er… I have twenty minutes…. I mean… I am… the… boss" Trish moaned.

"Yes… you… are…." Jeff replied in between kisses as he began to take control of her body, knowing exactly the right places to touch. He began to suck lightly on her breast before planting kisses on her stomach and moving south.

"Make... that… thirty…." Trish gasped in pleasure.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris wore a purple shirt, a grey, plaid blazer with matching grey, plaid trousers and a black tie and black leather shoes, if he was going to meet his father - he already knew he would have to look the part. As he was about to knock on his father's office, he heard arguing coming from inside. He could barely make out the conversation but managed to hear his father say 'this is going to happen whether you like it or not.'

Chris furrowed his brow in confusion as the door suddenly swung open and he found his lovely step mother Alice, she frowned at her stepson.

"Christopher…" Alice spoke flatly.

"Alice…" Chris replied with a half-smile.

Alice huffed before storming out of sight.

It was hard to tell whether Alice was upset, all the botox and plastic surgery she had over the years made it hard to distinguish her moods, she just always looked pissed off, the whole time she and his father had been married, he never seen her look happy, Trish once joked that she hadn't smiled since even when she was a baby - whether it was true or false, it was very believable.

"Sorry that you had to witness that son, I wasn't expecting Alice to make an appearance…" Ted said as he rubbed his temples, Chris noticed the stress on his father's face and he looked both physically and mentally drained, something was playing on his mind.

"Is everything okay?" Chris asked, genuinely concerned. Sure he didn't have the best relationship with his father but he didn't have the worst either. Chris looked up to his father and respected him in the highest regards but he knew his place in his father's life and it was second to his businesses.

"Oh yes…" Ted brushed it off. "How have you been son?"

Chris was taken back by the question which was out of character for his father. "Same old…"

"I like that Hunter that you convinced me to hire, he seems a good man… you have a good eye for business son… hiring him was a good move." Ted replied.

For the first time since Chris had come into the office, Ted finally turned around to look at him after staring at the wall the entire time so far.

"Yeah…" That was all Chris managed to reply on the topic. He still didn't like Hunter, well he couldn't say he hated him, he respected him and he did agree that he was a good man but they had a conflict of interest, the certain conflict by the name of Stephanie McMahon. If it wasn't for the brunette's place in Chris's heart, he imagined he would get along with Hunter just fine. "Why did you call me here dad?"

"Can't a father just catch up with his son?" Ted replied in an offended tone.

"Well it would be the first time pops." Chris shrugged. "The last time you asked me to catch up with you I nearly got sent off to military school."

"You were partying with college students at 14 years old son… I think I was within my rights..." Ted sighed and Chris shrugged at the memories - he was a wild kid, he couldn't deny that much. Ted hesitated before replying once again. "I've been thinking recently about your future Christopher, you are going to be the sole owner of Jericho & Co, you will be carrying on my legacy…"

"Stating the obvious much?" Chris chuckled sarcastically.

"This isn't a joke Christopher…" Ted frowned disapprovingly. "I am a powerful man, this is a powerful industry, I have a lot of powerful friends the same way I have a lot of powerful enemies… I need to know you will make me proud when you take over."

"I always try to make you proud…" Chris sighed.

"Partying, sleeping around and being an ass to everyone isn't making me proud son." Ted shook his head as he took a second to exhale before continuing with his words. "However I will give you credit, you have come a long way… you have a long way to go don't get me wrong… but you're not a total lost cause… that's why I'm still giving you full control."

Chris was took back by the words Ted said, it was the nicest thing he had ever said to him, he would normally rip into him and tell him he was a disgrace. Chris nodded in shock as he bit his lip unsure about what to say next. "Pops… why are you saying all this?"

"Because I never said it enough when you were younger and maybe at times I was a little hard on you and because I know I've always put this company first but that was so I could pass it down to you the way my father passed it down to me… I hope you can forgive me for not being the best father…" Ted replied.

Chris looked in confusion, still unsure what had bought on these feelings. "What's up pops? Why are you saying all this now? Is there something wrong?"

Ted chuckled. "So many questions Christopher, you have always been curious…"

Chris looked baffled as his father continued to avoid questions and speak riddles.

"...look son, I've just not seen you in a while and I've not been around but I'm always watching and I always keep up with the current events of Manhattan, I understand things have been crazy but you've proved you do have morals, you can stand by your loved ones even if there few and far between… you're a good man Chris… maybe one day you'll be a great one…"

Chris nodded at his father. "I hope so."

"I'll let you get on with your day, I have to go away again son… another business trip..." Ted said as he walked over to the door with his son. "Send my love to Patricia, I hope she is recovering from the dreadful acts of the McMahons… one day all their evil will catch up to them and it's a true saying son… what goes around comes around..."

Chris chuckled. "Ain't that the truth..."

"I do love you son…" Ted smiled, probably the first genuine smile Chris had ever seen from his father since he was a child, it was the first time he thought he had ever heard his father tell him that he loves him, Ted wasn't an affection man (although not as extreme as McMahons who claimed emotion was weakness) he definitely embraced his emotions but didn't act on them.

"I love you too pops…" Chris replied confused but decided not to rock the boat, if his father was expressing his love for him, he was going to take it, no questions asked.

As Chris was about to walk away, Hunter walked over wearing an all black suit and black glasses. "Good morning Ted, your vehicle awaits.."

Ted nodded at his employee. "Thank you Hunter…"

"Christopher." Hunter nodded in respect at his bosses son.

"Hunter." Chris replied blankly with his nose in the air. "Hey pops, call me later if you're free…"

Ted gave his son a half-smile and a nod as he walked off with Hunter and Ted while Chris walked the other way towards the elevator. He was already up now, he might as well make the most of the day.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish rushed into the office, she was late - really late. An hour late. It was unheard off but totally worth it. Trish and Jeff had spent the morning making sweet, glorious love as they used the grant art of consummation to reconfirm their newly official relationship status. The blonde was trying to act like she had a terrible morning and that was why she was running late but truth be told, anybody who had eyes could see the wide grin and glazed over, love struck eyes.

"Good morning boss!" Mickie beamed. "Your coffee is probably cold now, I can run and get you one, I understand you had a pretty hectic morning!"

"Something like that…" Trish smirked to herself. "That will not be necessary Mickie… by the way I understand I was pretty harsh on you yesterday and I will be more than happy to look over your designs at some point…"

Trish was being nice to Mickie, the girl couldn't stand her new assistant and most of the time she wanted to rip out her vocal chords but not this morning, instead she even managed to crack a genuine smile towards the brunette. That was the phenomena known as the Jeff Hardy effect.

"That would be great!" Mickie grinned. "That's fantastic, honestly amazing!"

Trish smiled politely before cautiously opening the door to her office as she found Stephanie sat in her office already staring a hole into her with her blue, piercing eyes and a look of suspicion.

"Your late…" Stephanie stated matter-of-factly.

"I would've text you but I've lost my phone…" Trish replied casually as she avoided eye contact with her best friend and sat down on the desk, as normal as she was trying to act, Stephanie knew her like the back of her hand, it wasn't going to be that easy to brush off. "...it's just been a super crazy morning, the traffic was crazy-"

"Cut the bullshit… you're grinning like the cheshire cat on ecstasy, you're also avoiding my stare that much you would think that I have snakes for hair and my name was medusa, you're eyes are totally screaming joanie-loves-chachi and if you get another hickey on your neck you might get mistaken for a cheetah… spill… now." Stephanie raised her eyebrow knowingly.

Trish's eyes widened as she tried to bite her lip in an attempt to contain her smile, it didn't work - if anything it just made her look even more guilty. "I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"In case you haven't noticed I'm the Patricia Stratus lie detector in flesh and blood…" Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Jerry Springer aint got shit on me girl…"

Trish shook her head attempting to act inconspicuous, opening her laptop and typing on the keyboard as she ignored the brunette who was desperately attempting to find out about her morning.

"Okay so you're not going to tell me then let's play a little game of Guess Who Trish Was With This Morning, it's like Guess Who but a whole lot easier to figure out... " Stephanie persisted. "First guess, Jeff Hardy…"

Trish couldn't help but smile wider at the mention of his name.

"Well that was easy enough let's play another game, this time it's called Who Done Him? It's a bit like Whodunnit except not as complex to figure out the culprit…" Stephanie continued. "So my first guess is Trish Stratus…"

"We're back together… _officially_." Trish admitted, the excitement on her face couldn't be contained. "I don't know what I was so scared off…"

"Well I'm happy for you…" Stephanie smiled slightly before returning to her serious face. "...but tell him if he ever makes you late again then I will personally shave off his stupid man bun!"

Trish rolled her eyes playfully and sighed with content.

Stephanie watched the blonde opposite her gush and swoon, it reminded her of high school. The day after Trish lost her virginity to Jeff, Stephanie could figure it out straight away, the blonde didn't have a very good poker face especially when it came to her emotions with the enigma.

Stephanie chuckled. "Okay blue valentine, I get it… now focus… we have a photoshoot to attend in like an hour and a half, the only problem is Torrie is going to be there… I know you two have had your differences recently… so if you don't want to go then I have no problem taking one for the team."

Trish shook her head, still in her lovey-dovey trance. "Oh no, I'll be fine… I'll get Mickie to call my driver to pick me up…"

Trish looked at the phone on her desk and rang her assistant. "Mickie, darling, can you let my driver know that I'm ready to attend the photoshoot. Thank you lovely."

The blonde put the phone down as she let out a satisfied sigh.

Stephanie chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief at Trish. "You're totally dickmatised right now aren't you…" Stephanie wasn't asking it as a question, it was more of a factual statement.

Trish blushed and fluttered her eyelashes as she bit her lip. She wasn't going to deny the fact that Jeff satisfied her every need - mentally, emotionally and sexually.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff was walking with a bounce in his step, he finally got the woman of his dreams back … _officially._ He couldn't be happier, he was happy, she was happy, they were really going to be together and he knew they were stronger than ever.

As Matt opened the door to his apartment, he gave Jeff a disapproving look and rolled his eyes at the gushing enigma. "You're an idiot, you totally had Trish right where you wanted her!"

"I think you'll find that Trish and I are better than ever… in fact… she asked me to be her boyfriend… so I'm just going to grab the stuff that I left here…" Jeff smiled proudly.

"So just like that you're moving in with her?" Matt rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievable…"

"What's your problem brother because something is telling me it's nothing to do with Trish… I thought you would be happy that we're back together… you know that's what I've wanted since the day we broke up." Jeff frowned, he had an incline on why Matt was acting the way he did.

"I'm sorry…" Matt replied with a defeated sigh. "It's selfish but I was looking forward to living with my brother again… but you're right just because my love life is shit doesn't mean I can't be happy for you."

"You need to get yourself back out there." Jeff raised an eyebrow at his raven-haired brother who poured two cups of coffee, one for himself and one for his brother.

"No it's nothing to do with that…" Matt shook his head before taking a sip of the coffee and sticking on the stool as Jeff sat up on the island and took a his coffee in his hand. "Amy slept with Adam…"

"Yes I know…" Jeff replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's old news…"

" _Again…"_ Matt responded with an aggressive tone.

Jeff's eyes widened at the information as he took a sip of coffee, he didn't know where to put his face. "Well dude… that sucks…"

"Y'think?" Matt replied sarcastically.

"Yeah but you're not together and haven't been for two years… she's not doing anything wrong…" Jeff shrugged as Matt sent a death glare in his direction. "I know you don't want to hear it but it's the truth… I get she hurt you Matt but you can't keep using it against her…"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?" Matt replied angrily, his brow furrowed.

"Let it go…" Jeff shrugged.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie sat in her office, Trish had left to attend the photoshoot. The brunette thought it wasn't the right time to tell Trish about Melina giving up her apartment, she was happy and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible but that didn't mean Stephanie wouldn't do her best to try and locate their friend.

The chestnut brown haired girl tapped her finger on the desk as she began to research Dave Batista but couldn't find any leads. It was as if he was a ghost.

Her cell began to ring which interrupted her search. Jonathan Coachman better known as Coach. He was a family friend and private investigator, she had been trying to get in contact with him since she left Melina's and he was only returning the call now.

"Hi Coach thanks for returning my call…" Stephanie smiled into the phone.

"Stephanie McMahon, long time, I hope you are doing well, If I know you you're probably not speaking on behalf of your family since they signed away your rights to the business…" Coach replied on the other end.

"You definitely know me… in fact the reason I called is… personal…" Stephanie explained. "My friend Melina Perez she's disappeared, nobody has seen her since she quit her job apart from her brief appearance at our high school reunion, we're just a bit worried about her since she's moved apartments, changed numbers… I was hoping you'd be able to help… you know I pay well anyway…"

"No worries, Melina Perez… I'll get right on it, I just need a few details…" Coach agreed in a chirpy tone. "I'll send you a text with everything that I need…"

"Oh and could you find out some information on her boyfriend Dave Batista… he's practically a ghost and I believe it might be useful to get some information on his background…" Stephanie added.

"Dave Batista… got it…"

"And Coach… I'd appreciate it if this was just kept between me and you… no families knowing, no friends knowing and don't let anybody else find out what I'm upto…" Stephanie pleaded. "It's very important…"

"If I may ask Miss McMahon… what are you upto?"

"I have no idea Coach, I'll let you know when I find out…" Stephanie chuckled half-heartedly as she put the phone down and tapped her finger once more. Something didn't feel right and Stephanie would get down to the bottom of it. She was sick of these gutless men ruining beautiful, strong, independent women.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish had arrived at the photoshoot and her love hormones were pumping at full force. Torrie approached her friend sheepishly as she wore her black robe, the photoshoot was for Trish's new lingerie line and Torrie being the face of StratusFashion was bound to be there, she was just surprised to see Trish had turned up knowing how they left things the last time they saw each other.

"Look Trish I'm so sorry-"

"There's no need to be sorry, if it was the other way round and Stephanie had released a sex tape with your man then I'd be defended her to the ground…" Trish shook her head to dismiss any tension. "You're my friend and you were trying to look out for me and Joy and I'm not going to hold it against you…"

"Really just like that I'm forgiven?" Torrie gasped, she was quite shocked.

"Yes you weren't supposed to know…" Trish chuckled. "Besides we've put it behind us…."

"We?" Torrie raised an eyebrow. "So the rumours are true you are dating Jeff again?"

Trish nodded and smiled. "Yeah… we made it offical today… he really has changed Torrie, actually he hasn't change, he's just gone back to the man I know before he took drugs."

"Ross and Rachel are back…" Torrie half-smiled. "It's nice to see you smiling Trish…"

"So anyway let's see the products!" Trish continued to smile as she signalled for the blonde to drop her gown.

Torrie revealed the lingerie which fitted her perfectly, it was a red, strappy bra with multiple cutouts to reveal the skin and a diamond shape to cover the nipples, at the bottom of the bra were red, sequin strands that jiggled with every little movement. She wore matching thongs which were the same design and were connected to red suspenders.

"I love the designs Trish… I feels super sexy right now…" Torrie smirked as she shook her hips and breast in Trish's face. "This one is definitely my favourite, I feel like I belong in Rio Carnival…"

"It definitely suits you…" Trish smiled back. "I'm just going to discuss the theme with the photographer and let him know what I want him to portray in the photos, you just do what you do best which is look pretty and take amazing photos."

Torrie pulled Trish into a hug. "I've missed you Trish…"

Trish chuckled taken back her fellow blonde's affection. "I've always been here Torrie…"

Trish separated from the hug first and walked off to find the photographer. Torrie sighed as she watched her friend walk away, her face washed over in guilt, she had something she needed to tell Trish for her own piece of mind but she wasn't sure how she would take it.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy was sat in the living room of JBL's, the happy couple were both at work most of the time and this left the redhead alone. She used to hate being on her own, her thoughts were her biggest enemy at one point but she was finally starting to feel better - since losing Matt due to her own selfish actions, getting into an abusive relationship, getting put into a mental institute for attempting to leave the relationship then finally escaping the institute to get beaten half to death by the man who put her in there, she hadn't had the best two years.

Things however were starting to look up for the redhead, she had a stable home at JBL and Jillian's who insisted she stay there until she was ready to leave and she was starting to feel normal, her thoughts weren't as mean and twisted, her soul was lifted and she had even started playing around on her guitar to express her emotions in a healthy was instead of bottling them up or running away from them.

She sat with the guitar on her knee as she sang along to a song she had been working on -

" _Take me I'm alive_

 _Never was a girl with a wicked mind_

 _But everything looks better when the sun goes down  
I had everything  
Opportunities for eternity  
And I could belong to the night_

 _Then your eyes  
Your eyes  
I can see in your eyes  
Your eyes_

 _You make me wanna die  
I'll never be good enough  
You make me wanna die  
And everything you love will burn up in the light  
And every time I look inside your eyes  
You make me wanna die"_

As Amy stopped singing, she looked on the paper next to her as she started tweaking chords and began to write some more lyrics, editing it so it would be perfect.

"Wow…"

The voice shocked Amy as she jumped and held her guitar in front of her as a shield. She was surprised to find a certain raven haired man stood behind her, an impressed look on his face. She wasn't sure how long he had been there or how he had even gotten in.

"I know JBL always leaves a spare key…" Matt smiled politely.

Well that answers that one.

Amy looked at him with a drained look and sighed. "What's up Matt?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry…" Matt looked down slightly as he took a deep breath before returning to meet the girl's cautious face. "I'm sorry that I keep holding it against you, I know what you did is wrong but I need to let it go if we're ever going to be friends."

"Matt I can't be your friend." Amy sighed. "We try and we try and it's just not going to happen, I wish we could but we've proved time and time again, it's just too much for us to handle…"

Matt sighed as he sat down on the sofa and Amy put her guitar on the floor. Matt began to look at the pieces of paper that were spread out along the seats as Amy snatched them out of his hand.

"What was that for?" Matt chuckled.

"It's not completed yet…" Amy replied defensively as she place them out of her ex-boyfriends reach.

"I wanna sign you to my label." Matt announced. "You're amazing Amy, you're naturally talented and I think it could be good for you to enjoy a solo career, it'll also get you doing something instead of lounging around here all day…"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Amy replied bluntly.

"Oh come on you love music…" Matt scoffed.

"Yes I do but working with my ex boyfriend on an album when we can't even hang out together without arguing, how are we supposed to work together Matt, how am I supposed to know you won't flip out on me every time you hear something you don't like?" Amy raised her eyebrow.

"Because I'm letting it go Amy and this is a business decision it would be stupid to let somebody else come and snap you up, you're a musician and a damn good one…" Matt replied. "Jeff wants to do a feature with you, I want to produce your album, you deserve some good news, I've been selfish in how I've dealt with you and I realise you've been through a lot in the last two years since we broke up and no matter how or why things ended with us you didn't deserve half the shit you've been through… I finally realize that now…"

"Talk is cheap Matt…" Amy sighed.

"Well let me prove it… come in the studio tomorrow… please…" Matt asked.

Amy reluctantly nodded. "Fine, the minute you so much as catch an attitude with me then I'm walking off, kapeesh?"

Matt nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow Ames…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

At the end of the photoshoot, Torrie was changing back into her normal clothes, a pair of light blue jeans and a white vest top. Trish knocked on the changing room.

"Who is it?"

"It's Trish…"

Torrie opened the door to the changing room, allowing her friend to come in while she finished brushing through her hair and sticking it up in a long, sleek ponytail.

"The photos have turned out amazing and we did it in half the time, you never fail to surprise me Torrie Wilson!" Trish grinned. "Great work today, I'm going to go back to the office but don't be a stranger okay?"

Torrie nodded as Trish went to leave the changing room. "Trish wait-"

Trish turned around raising her eyebrow with a sweet smile on her face. "Yes?"

"I really need to tell you something…" Torrie sighed.

"Go on…" Trish chuckled as she entered the changing room and stood against the wall.

"I'm the one who sent the video to OverTheEdge about Maryse being your sister… it's no excuse but you really hurt my feelings and it was my birthday and I felt like you had been a crappy friend…" Torrie admitted.

"Oh…" Trish replied unsure of how to react to that information.

"It doesn't stop there… I did the same at the reunion, I snuck out after you and Jeff and recorded you again… I'm sorry Trish…" Torrie sighed. "I just needed to tell you."

"Right…" Trish forced a smile on her face, she was unsure how she felt. She was pissed off sure but it had all seemed to work out regardless and she did have the decency to tell her even it wasn't straight away and she made the same mistake twice. "I'm going to go Torrie…"

"I get if you don't want me to model for you anymore…" Torrie looked down.

"No of course I want you to model for me and we're still friend, you made a mistake but do it again Torrie…" Trish warned. "Then I'm sorry but three strikes and you're out… don't ever think of doing anything like that ever again if you have a problem with me you come and talk to me…"

Torrie nodded.

"Good." Trish walked off out of the changing room as Torrie let out a sigh of relief.

It could've went a lot worse and she was happy the truth was out in the open.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

 **Later on that day**

Trish walked in her penthouse to a sight she wouldn't take for granted again, Jeff sat in her living room, sprawled out on the sofa as he played on his video games. A smile approached her lips.

"Hey Hardy…" Trish sung in an upbeat manner.

The blonde wasn't sure which game he was playing but he was sucked in until he heard her voice and turned to face her for less than twenty seconds and he was killed. Jeff threw the controller on their sofa as he shrugged.

"Sorry did I get you killed?" Trish chuckled.

"Pfffft… I don't care anyway babe." Jeff shrugged.

Trish laughed as she could tell her was lying.

"Well maybe a little bit… and I was getting bullied by this little kid… he kept calling me words that I don't even think he was old enough to spell…" Jeff chuckled with a puzzle look on his face. "How's your day been?"

"Look Hardy I've been thinking maybe we made a mistake…" Trish replied in a serious tone.

Jeff's face dropped as he let out a frustrated sigh.

Trish burst into laughter no longer able to keep her serious expression. "I'm sorry that was mean but that was for making me work for it this morning!"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Jeff fumed as Trish continued to laugh as she sat her ass on his knee and faced him while he placed his hands on her peachy bum. "You can't joke about things like that…"

"I think I know how I can make it up to you…" Trish smirked as she bit her lip and arched her back, still keeping the same distance between them as she started to kiss his neck slowly.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris was in his suite at the Codebreaker. He lay on his bed as he flicked through the channels, none of which interested him, he didn't know what to do if it didn't include alcohol or women. Truth was he was baffled how people enjoy themselves, yet he was willing to try anything once.

His cell phone started ringing, an unknown number. He was hesitant to answer it but something niggled him inside and forced him to press the green button and put the phone to his ear. "Chris Jericho, sup?"

"Mr Jericho... Hi my name is Kurt Angel... I work for your father Ted Jericho, I understand he was taking a business trip to London, we lost contact with his pilot and he dropped of radar..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris hissed.

"It means Mr Jericho... your father's plane has gone missing... we believe it may have crashed into the Atlantic..."

"So what does that mean about my father?"

"We can't confirm anything as of yet, we were told to inform his next-of-kin by officials, Alice Jericho, his wife and your step mother wasn't answering and we thought it best to inform you instead, if his plane has crashed Mr Jericho... we don't believe the fate of your father looks good... if he his plane has crashed, surviving in those conditions, chances are very slim, we have search parties looking for him at this moment... we can only keep you updated..."

"So what does all this mean?" Chris snarled.

"I'm sorry Mr Jericho... officials are presuming that your father is dead..."


	25. Denial Is The First Stage Of Grief

**A/N- I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE, LIFE HAS BEEN HECTIC AND I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO WRITE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER FOR AGES BUT IT'S BEEN IN LITTLE DRIBS AND DRABS! I'LL TRY AND UPDATE AS REGULARLY AS I CAN AND PLEASE DON'T THINK I'VE GIVEN UP WRITING MY STORIES BECAUSE I HAVEN'T! HERE'S THE LATEST CHAPTER, READ & REVIEW.**

Chris was sick of it all, sick of the headlines, sick of the phonecalls, sick of the conspiracies. It had been three days since his father's plane had gone missing, making it a front page story all over the world and yet officials were no closer to gaining any knowledge on his whereabouts or finding any wreckage of the plane in the Atlantic - where he was supposed to have been flying over at the time of his disappearance. His father had just vanished without a trace. Military forces from different countries lent a helping hand to explore his father's expected flight path and were all assisting with the search party, while America and The UK confided with each other (as Ted was leaving from New York and was flying to London) it was their responsibility to find further information but all in all there was no sign of debris, no clues as to what happened, the plane was nowhere to be found and as the hours went by the likelihood of the aircraft being found were getting slimmer and slimmer, although the investigation would continue it was presumed that Ted Jericho was dead.

It hadn't quite sunk in that this was really happening, he didn't know whether it was because he didn't believe it or because he didn't want to believe it but Chris was in a confused daze. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling perhaps if he was in front of his father's dead body and he seen him in front of him it would feel real but he couldn't yet grieve mostly because he didn't whether there was a reason to grieve.

Everybody else found this strange, Trish had tried to get him to open up about his feelings with no success, she would have more luck trying to draw blood from a stone. Jeff had tried to talk to him about the death of his parents in which Chris would just reply 'you know they are really dead' and that would be the end of that conversation. Stephanie tried to speak to him about it and he would use flirting or jokes as a defense mechanism or as a way to avoid the subject altogether. He was in limbo, he wasn't sure how he should feel, whether there was any reason to feel sad or angry, a part of him held onto hope that he would just appear from nowhere to tell the world that there's been a huge misunderstanding and there was a perfectly logical explanation behind it.

Chris had sat in Trish and Steph's office, Stephanie had officially signed the papers to become a partner in Trish's company and they were just waiting for them to be processed. Chris was in their office because he didn't have anywhere else to go, The Codebreaker was surrounded by paparazzi hoping to get an inside scoop from one of the Jericho/Stratus family or simply just to report the story. Chris' home had become a haven for media outlets all around the world.

Trish and Steph were worried about Chris, he wasn't dealing with it healthily, he was suspiciously calm and collective and he was acting as if nothing was wrong. The TV was playing in the background quietly with Chris flicking through the channels as he sat on one of the sofas in their office, his feet up and slouching into the leather. A sudden boost in the volume broke the girls attention when none other than Trish's mother Alice was having an interview on Victoria Talks.

The three turned their attention to the television as they watched Victoria and Alice discuss the latest mystery and headline.

" _Thank you for joining us today Alice, I understand this must be a very difficult time for you and your family…" Victoria said, the emotion thick in her voice._

"Family… pfft…" Trish muttered bitterly.

" _Yes we are all in a state of shock but we have got each other to get through this dark time in our lives, Ted's disappearance has only brought us closer together…." Alice sniffled, it would look genuine to anybody who didn't know her but Trish and Chris knew it was all a charade._

"Lying bitch…" Trish rolled her eyes.

"Trish no matter what she's still his wife…" Stephanie replied.

"When will you people believe me, she has no emotions, that marriage was nothing but a business transaction, just like everything else in her world…" Trish responded. "She's hasn't even bothered to phone me or Chris since this has happened but she can fly to LA for a slot in the highest rated talk show in America spouting off about family for her public image and sympathy…"

" _I just want to thank everybody involved in the search for my husband, he is the love of my life…"_

"Oh give me a break…" Trish mumbled.

" _...I've come to announce that although the search will continue for the missing aircraft and my husband, we also have to take into account that there is no evidence or trace of him anywhere, the officials who are handling this bizarre case have informed me to prepare for the worst and we're presuming that my husband is…"_

 _Alice paused for dramatic effect before tears began streaming down her face._

"Crocodile tears right on cue…" Trish muttered.

" _...I'm so sorry about that Victoria, it's just so hard to accept that he might really be gone…"_

" _I couldn't imagine what you and your poor family are going through…" Victoria replied with sympathy as she passed Alice a few tissues and the older woman began to dab her eyes._

" _I have been advised to speak to my legal team and begin arrangements for his funeral, we have to accept the fact we may never have answers but still have hope that one day the truth will come to light, I love you so much Ted and I will keep you in my prayers, thoughts and my heart…"_

"Prayers? Please if she stepped within a fifty mile radius of a church, she'd start to melt." Trish replied as she screwed her face in annoyance at her mother.

Stephanie glanced at Trish, giving her a famous 'you're not helping' look.

"What? She would, god has put her prayers on his blocked lost, she aint getting no help from the big man…" Trish shrugged. "She is milking this situation that much she may as well start her own dairy farm."

Chris turned off the TV abruptly, Trish and Stephanie sharing concerned looks with each other before turning their attention to the male who still seemed unfazed but instead expressed a puzzled look on his face, ignoring the comments of his step sister regarding his step mother. "Why would she plan a funeral so soon? He's probably fine!"

Trish bit her lip anxiously, she needed to get Chris to see the bigger picture, that there's a 90% chance that his father was gone for good. "Ermm… Chris… she's planning a funeral because you're fathers plane has disappeared… planes just don't do disappear…"

"Oh I'm sure there's a logical reason." Chris insisted.

Trish and Stephanie looked at each other with side-eyes not sure how to approach the issue.

"We have to look at the facts Jericho…" Stephanie replied in a tough-love tone. "It's been three days and still no more leads, nothing, even if the plane did crash and he miraculously survived, he's been missing in the middle of the ocean for three whole days… it's time to face the fact…"

"Don't say it." Chris replied his tone more hostile than previous. "He's not."

"Look-" Trish began before getting cut off.

"No you look, my father's not dead, I've not seen the corpse so I'm not giving up on him that easily okay? So what if it's been three days, it could be three decades for all I care but until I see his body or any evidence that says otherwise I'm not accepting it." Chris replied bluntly but without raising his voice. "Now I need to speak to Alice, I need to talk some sense into her…"

"You know that's not a good idea…" Trish warned.

"Look, I'm going guys, I'll catch up with you both later…" Chris replied casually as he pulled his cell phone out and began to walk out of the office.

Trish and Stephanie shook their heads at one another. "Steph…"

"I know…" Stephanie replied. "...when it hits him, it's going to hit like a ton of bricks…"

"That's what I'm worried about." Trish frowned at her best friend as her concern for her step-brother had just multiplied, she was terrified of what Chris would do when he began to feel the emotions he wasn't willing to accept yet.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris made his way out of StratusFashion headquarters, pulling out his iPhone in the process as he scrolled his contacts, his contacts were the nicknames he had created for people over the years; Trish was named Thunder Thighs, Steph was named Trash Bag Hoe, Jeff was named Rainbow Warrior and there was only one name that could fit Alice perfectly…

 _Dialling StepMonster…_

After a few seconds of ringing, a very monotone Alice answered the call, her voice showed no emotion, a huge contrast to the emotion she was portraying moments before on the talk show.

"Oh Christopher, sorry I've not been in touch darling, it's just been crazy as you can imagine, how is everything?" Alice spoke through the iPhone, her usual patronising tone had returned since Victoria Talks went off the air.

Chris rolled his eyes at his stepmother's fake concern. "Oh yeah it's great as you can imagine, my life has never been better!" He replied with sarcasm.

"Now Christopher, there's no need for that…" Alice replied bluntly, he could almost hear her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she said, zero sympathy, zero empathy, zero emotion "...what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"Are you being serious?" Chris asked in disbelief how Alice was interacting with him, sure he knew she was a heartless bitch but even she couldn't be that stupid (or oblivious).

"Look darling…" Alice replied in a false tone. "I understand you're upset, we all are, however business must continue and I'm on my way back to New York as we speak, meet me tonight at the Codebreaker at 8:30pm, bring Patricia…"

"Wait Alice-"

"I really must run Christopher, Ciao darling…" Alice abruptly ended the call.

Chris sighed with frustration, he didn't expect anything less from Alice but it still pushed his buttons how she was dealing with the situation, he didn't get any answers from her and he doubted he would get any face to face.

The dark haired blond male pulled out his phone once again, he knew Trish was waiting for her new phone as her other one still hadn't turned up so he decided to text Stephanie to pass on the message.

 _To: Trash Bag Hoe  
Tell Thunder Thighs, Codebreaker 8:30, StepMonsters request.  
P.S U look gud behind that desk, but u wud look better on it with me behind u ;)_

 _From: Trash Bag Hoe_

 _I'm out the office, tell her yourself.  
P.S you don't need sex right now, you need a therapist._

 _To: Trash Bag Hoe  
Maybe you could help me with both ;) _

**-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie opened the text as she sighed and rolled her eyes before placing her cell phone back in her purse. The brunette would normally thrive of the attention she was receiving of her former lover especially as of recent the two had become quite distant and she did miss their passionate rendezvous' however even she knew it would be irresponsible to encourage his behaviour. He was avoiding an ugly truth - his father was gone and he was sole heir to the Jericho & Co and one step away from self destructing.

The brunette shook the thoughts of Chris Jericho out of her mind as she sat in a little coffee shop on the Upper East Side, after reaching out to Jonathan Coachman regarding Melina and Dave Batista, he had requested that she meet with him. She sipped on her beverage patiently as she awaited for the private investigator to arrive.

The male arrived as he gave a subtle head nod to the youngest McMahon and greeted her with a polite handshake. "Thank you for meeting with me Ms McMahon… I have an update on the David Batista and Melina Perez information that you requested… you may want to stay seated."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish sat in her office while she ate her lunch - a healthy variety of salad with curried prawns and a bottle of water to wash it down. She watched some reality TV as she kicked back into her chair and awaited the return of her best friend and new business partner. A commotion outside interrupted the blonde's peaceful lunch as she raised an eyebrow, opening the office door to find her boyfriend Jeff and her assistant Mickie arguing.

"I'm her boyfriend, I don't need an appointment!" Jeff scowled.

"Sorry unless I've been told otherwise I cannot allow you through!" Mickie glared at the rockstar.

"Woah Mickie it's fine…" Trish chuckled as she watched the two go back and forth. "Jeff Hardy never needs an appointment to see me."

Jeff threw a victorious smirk in Mickie's direction as Trish chuckled, their two hands intertwined as the blonde led her boyfriend into his office. Mickie's cocoa eyes scowling in envy as she watched the couple disappear into the office.

As the couple stood in Trish and Stephanie's office, they greeted each other with a quick yet passionate kiss. A blush appearing on the blonde's cheekbones as she looked into the eyes of her man and analysed his face, his natural hair colour had once again been stripped as he had soon grown bored and his hair was now a variety of different colours - it made him feel more like himself and Trish couldn't help but love how he managed to pull it off. Orange, purple, blue…

"Your assistant is crazy you know that right?" Jeff announced matter-of-factly.

"She's becoming more militant I'll give her that…" Trish giggled. "She just wants to impress me don't take it personal besides it's not every day the great Jeff Hardy makes an appearance at StratusFashion…"

"I was just on my way back from the studio, thought that I'd drop by and see how my favourite woman is holding up." Jeff shrugged casually before handing her a bag of chocolate bars, potato chips and candy.

Trish chuckled as she looked into the bag. "Jericho would have a field day if he seen you pass me this bag, the fat jokes wouldn't ever stop!"

"How is he?" Jeff asked.

"I'm worried about him..." Trish sighed.

"He will be alright… grief is a struggle, I should know… but he'll get through it…" Jeff reassured the blonde with a hug. "Plus it helps he has got good people around him… and Stephanie…"

The comment about her best friend made the blonde chuckle into her boyfriend's chest.

"...He's going to get through this…" Jeff continued.

"How is he supposed to grief when he won't accept the fact that Ted Jericho could be gone forever? I mean what if he never finds the body? Is he just going to hold on to the 0.01% that by some miracle his father is still alive?" Trish furrowed her brow, unable to understand her step brother's thought process.

"Body… no body… it doesn't make a difference… it's the first stage of grief… denial… all you can do is be there for him when the penny drops and not rush the process…" Jeff shrugged as he reminisced when he found out his parents were gone.

Trish separated from the hug nodding her head in agreement with the male. "You're right."

"I'm always right…" Jeff joked.

"You're definitely not always right… I can think of ten reasons on the top of my head now where you were most definitely wrong…" Trish raised an eyebrow at the rockstar.

"Damn… It was a joke… no need to go for my jugular…" Jeff rubbed the back of his head nervously.

Trish smirked. "So how are things in the land of the Extreme…"

"We're getting there, it's a bit awkward still between Amy and Matt but they've not stabbed each other or had sex with each other yet so…. You could say it's going pretty well…" Jeff chuckled. "They're being very professional, you would be proud…"

"I am proud… not of them… but of you…" Trish smiled, her hazel eyes glistening as her face glowed with happiness. "You're doing so great Hardy… I know nobody tells you enough but you've been amazing… I know it's been hard for you… you came out of rehab and everything was up in the air and you've not cracked under pressure… you mesmerize me everyday…"

Jeff chuckled as his cheeks turned a rosy colour. "Trish…"

"I know I don't want to get sentimental or embarrass you but I hope you know that nothing goes unnoticed…"

"I'm just doing what I should've been doing all alone…" Jeff shrugged off casually as he stepped over to his girlfriend leaving a gentle kiss on her golden locks. "I'll see you at home babe…"

"Actually I won't be home til late… I said I would help Mickie with her designs and then I have to go to the Codebreaker to meet with my mom and Chris… I'd invite you but-"

"You know how much your mom hates me?"

"Pretty much…" Trish chuckled.

"I think I'll pass anyway, I mean we've been doing so well on the whole no drugs and alcohol thing and let's be honest an evening with your mother is enough to push anyone to a relapse." Jeff joked.

Trish giggled as she watched her boyfriend blow her kiss as he made his way out of her office.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie was stood in Queens, something the brunette never pictured herself doing. Coach had managed to get her an address for Dave Batista which she was hoping would lead her to Melina, she had found out that Dave has had many run ins with the law when he was a teenager then disappeared off the radar altogether.

The brunette peaked at the seemingly normal house as she could see Dave and Melina having a disagreement - Batista would point in Melina's face as she refused to make eye contact and hiss at the shook female in front of him. Stephanie could only imagine what Melina was going through, it made her sick to see her stomach as she watched them.

An opportunity arose as she watched Dave storm out of the house and disappear down the road. Stephanie sneakily let herself in the unlocked door as she quietly shut it after her, she could hear the timid sniffles from the kitchen where she had watched from the outside as Dave and Melina had their domestics.

"It's going to be alright Melina, it will be worth it…" Melina whispered to herself, unaware of Stephanie's presence as she chopped up some vegetables to accompany her meat and potatoes which she was preparing. "He loves you, he just gets mad sometimes…"

"He doesn't love you…" Stephanie interrupted Melina's thought process, almost giving the fellow brunette a heart attack and chopping off her index finger in the process.

"What the hell are you doing here Stephanie, you do realise this is a home invasion!" Melina replied angrily as she placed down the knife on the side.

"You've disappeared off the face of New York and we were worried about you so I tracked you down to see if you were okay…" Stephanie shrugged nonchalantly as she analysed the kitchen, the snob in her wanted to comment on the 80's vibe of the kitchen decor but she decided against it.

"Well I'm here… now I think you should leave…" Melina replied, a panic tone in her voice. "Dave will be back in a minute and he isn't a huge fan of surprises…"

"I'm not scared of Dave." Stephanie chuckled.

"Well you should be." Melina warned. "Stephanie you really have to go… if he finds you here there is no telling what he will do to you!"

"And if I leave you here there is no telling what he will do to you!" Stephanie shot back.

"He won't hurt me." Melina shook her head.

"What makes you so sure?!" Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the naive brunette.

"We're having a baby!" Melina blurted out, she watched as Dave made his way back down the road. "Stephanie you really need to go please…"

"I'm not-"

"PLEASE!" Melina pleaded, the panic setting in as Dave stepped closer and closer to the door. "Just go and don't come back… don't tell anybody you have seen me… especially Trish… just forget this ever happened… he won't hurt me… not while I'm carrying his baby… just trust me Steph!"

Stephanie could be as stubborn as the next person but Melina's tone worried her, she gave the brunette a quick nod as she ran out of the kitchen just as the front door opened, the youngest McMahon slipped through the back door quietly… just in the nick of time… still no step closer to getting Melina away from that monster.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish had agreed to help Mickie with one-to-one sessions to improve her designs, she still wasn't Mickie's biggest fan but she was learning to become more patient with the brunette - after all she was harmless right?

"Thanks for agreeing to do this Trish… you have no idea how much it means to me." Mickie beamed at the blonde.

Trish nodded politely at the comment, unaware of the googly eyes she was receiving of a lovestruck Mickie. "Anytime…"

"You're so talented I hope I can be as good as you one day…" Mickie bit her lip as she analysed the blonde's angelic face.

"You could be better than me one day." Trish replied politely, the two made eye contact which caused the brunette to blush, the blonde once again not picking up on the weird signals that Mickie was blatantly throwing her way. A text interrupted their eye contact much to Mickie's dismay.

A green wave overcame the brunette as she watched the grin appear on Trish's face, jealousy and envy flooded the brunette as she knew exactly who would be texting the blonde. Jeff Hardy.

"So you're totally back together with Jeff right?" Mickie asked casually as she tried to dig for more information. "You know I never really understood you two as a couple, you're both so different…"

Trish chuckled. "You're not the only one."

"Seriously… girl talk… how did somebody like Jeff Hardy end up with someone as beautiful and amazing as you…" Mickie continued to press.

"It's hard to explain… we're so similar and different at the same time… sometimes it feels like he's the other half of my soul…" Trish answered honestly forgetting who's company she was in, once she realized what she had revealed, she cleared her throat. "So is there anybody in your love life?"

"Oh no… I mean… my ex was bat shit crazy… she was totally obsessed with me…" Mickie chuckled as she tried to hide her hidden agenda.

"She?" Trish raised an eyebrow. "I would've never thought…"

"You're not the only one…" Mickie winked.

"Touche…" A genuine chuckle released from Trish's lips. "So we're going to have to call this a wrap, I'm kind of busy for the rest of the week but if you want to practice your designs and we'll do the same again next week?"

"Yeah that would be great!" Mickie jumped up hugging the blonde and inhaling her scent in the process. Trish took no notice, by this point she just believed Mickie was enthusiastic and bubbly as a person, unaware of her growing obsession.

"Okay Mickie you can let go of me now…" Trish chuckled.

"Oh yeah sorry… I'll see you tomorrow… morning… early… basically a few hours… can't wait…" Mickie replied as Trish playfully rolled her eyes at the brunette's 'quirky' ways. Mickie watched as her boss entered the elevator and walked into her office, a picture of Trish and Jeff sat on her desk.

The brunette picked up the framed photograph as hatred grew inside her, she saw Jeff as a threat, an obstacle that was in the way of her happily ever after with her idol. She dropped the frame on the floor and stamped on the glass with her heel as the frame shattered.

Mickie smirked as she pulled out Trish's lost phone which was now connected to Trish's new phone, reading through sickly love texts between Trish and Jeff as she gathered more information about the couple that she would sooner or later use to destroy them.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Trish rushed into the codebreakers restaurant where her mother and step brother were already sitting.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Patricia, I know where your priorities lie since you began to date that drug addict again, you do realize he is probably just looking for a way to kickstart his career again after that scandal, what better way for him to stay relevant than a reunion with America's Dumbest Sweetheart…" Alice responded in one breathe. Insults about her daughter had always come naturally.

"I'm pretty sure we didn't come here to talk about my love life…" Trish rolled her eyes as she placed herself on the chair.

"No we didn't… we'll save that for another day…" Alice chuckled as she took a tiny sip of her red wine glass leaving a sticky red lip print on the side. "I have stared planning the funeral…"

"What?!" Chris gasped as his brow furrowed.

"Yes… it's going to be on live television, all the main networks will be streaming it live… I just wanted to go through a few ground rules…" Alice continued.

Trish noticed the look in Chris' eyes.

"No…" Chris's comment went unnoticed by Alice who continued to ramble.

"We'll have no explosive outbursts, no drama, you play your part as the heartbroken children, I play the devastated widow, I'll have a script wrote out for you both so you know the perfect thing to say…"

"You're a vulture…" Trish snarled.

"Well you have to do what you have got to do…" Alice shrugged.

"NO!" Chris exploded as he banged on the table with his fist. "You're not holding the funeral because my father isn't dead…"

"See this is exactly what I'm talking about…" Alice rolled her eyes in a bored manner without even flinched at the loud bang that Chris's hand had created. "You've always been so dramatic…"

"This isn't a joke, my father's life isn't a joke!" Chris screamed.

"Honestly you're getting yourself rather worked up Christopher… it's time to accept it… your father is gone… finito…" Alice said with no remorse.

Chris looked into the wicked eyes of his step mother as he picked up the round table in his hands and swung it up violently before storming off.

Alice still unfazed by the events. "Oh look he spilt red wine on my suede boots…"

"This is low mother, even for you…" Trish shook her head as she made her way after her step brother.

"Patricia, please make sure you control Christopher at the funeral, I would hate for him to embarrass himself like you do with that Hardy boy…" Alice smirked smugly.

Trish shook her head before following after Chris who had already escaped through the lobby and jumped into a limousine. Trish sighed as she attempted to ring Chris' phone but had only been hit with answer machine.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris's head was spinning, normally he could blame the alcohol, weed or another substance for his behaviour but this time it was different, he was sober and yet he felt like he was on the biggest trip of his life. He stood outside a door and knocked.

Stephanie answered. "Jericho? What are you doing here?"

Chris grabbed the brunette by the face passionately as the two locked lips and he dominantly pushed her into her own apartment and slammed the door shut after them.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish walked into her penthouse as she received Chris' voicemail once again. "Come on Chris answer your phone please… I don't want you doing something stupid… just let me know you're okay… I love you brother…"

The blonde's voice had awoken Jeff from his half-sleep as she sat next to him on the sofa and began to take off her heels.

"How did dinner go?" Jeff asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Trish sighed.

"That bad huh?" Jeff asked as he pushed himself up from a lying position and placed his feet on the floor. "Where's Chris?"

"God knows." Trish replied "My mom is planning the funeral… Chris is a ticking time bomb which I believe just exploded in the Codebreaker and I'm not sure how the next couple of days are going to plan out but I have a feeling my damage control will be no help…"

"Let's get the SWAT team ready…" Jeff replied as he placed her hand in his and kissed her delicately on the forehead.


	26. Expectations Of A Great Man

**A/N - FINALLY GOT THIS CHAPTER OUT, I'VE BEEN REALLY STUCK ON THIS ONE BUT I FINALLY FINISHED IT. WRITERS BLOCK AND A BUSY SCHEDULE HAVE BEEN TO BLAME FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ONE OF MY BEST BUT AHHH WELL THE DRAMA IS STILL KEEPING IT ENTERTAINING. READ & REVIEW AND THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. **

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE SUPERSTARS/CHARACTERS.**

Chris's head was spinning, normally he could blame the alcohol, weed or another substance for his behavior but this time it was different, he was sober and yet he felt like he was on the biggest trip of his life. He stood outside a door and knocked.

Stephanie answered. "Jericho? What are you doing here?"

Chris grabbed the brunette by the face passionately as the two locked lips and he dominantly pushed her into her own apartment and slammed the door shut after them.

They two fumbled through the apartment, as they struggled to undress each other as they directed each other to the bedroom.

Chris picked up the brunette placing her long legs around his waist. Her lilac, silk mini nightdress barely covering the top of her thigh as she tightened the grip around his waist.

They both missed each other's touch, shock waves rushing through their body with every time their lips touched.

Chris placed the brunette against the bed as he pushed his body on top of her and began to kiss her sweet spot on her pulse. He knew exactly how to get Stephanie's temperature rising as she let out a satisfied moan. As Chris pulled off his shirt, Stephanie looked up at him as he began to undress from the waist down.

"Stop…" Stephanie said softly.

Chris chuckled. "You know it's been too long…"

Chris began once again to kiss her neck down to her collarbone.

"I said stop!" Stephanie shouted forcefully as Chris pulled himself away from her looking confused as to what was happening.

"What's your problem?" Chris hissed.

"You're going through a lot right now and I don't think this is what you need…"

"You're wrong Steph… this is exactly what I need…" Chris smirked as he licked his lips and attempted to move back over the brunette.

It was taking every inch of will power that the brunette had to say no, there was something about the way Chris Jericho touched her that just satisfied her sexual desires yet she knew that this wasn't the right time to open Jericho's can of worms.

"Chris… go…" Stephanie announced firmly.

"You don't suit playing hard to get when you're normally so easy to fuck." Chris replied bitterly as he put himself back together and began to walk out of the room. "Classic Stephanie right?"

"I'm doing you a favour!" Stephanie shouted as the male stepped outside the door.

A cold chuckle escaped from the male as he turned his head to face her.

"You know you're really confusing… we're friends… we're not friends… we have sex… we don't have sex… you reject me… then you want me…" Chris chuckled. "What the fuck are we!"

"We're Chris and Steph!" Stephanie exclaimed. "You know what you mean to me!"

"That's the thing Steph… I don't…" Chris shrugged. "Tell me…"

"You should go." Stephanie sighed.

"Fine…" Chris shook his head and laughed sarcastically before slamming the door behind him.

 **1 Week Later -**

"You look like shit." Trish sighed. "When was the last time you showered? Or had a good night's sleep? Or even brushed your teeth?"

A stumbling Chris Jericho chuckled and shrugged carelessly. It was clear from the strong smell of alcohol that stuck to his breathe and clothes that he had a crazy few days, recent headlines and news articles reconfirmed his wild antics. Although you could tell just by looking at him.

"Chris… your father's funeral is in two hours…" Trish frowned as her step brother stumbled and kicked his shoes off before throwing himself on his kingsize mattress. Her words fell upon death ears. "...don't you think you should be getting ready for that…"

The blonde was responded by an insincere chuckle before the suite turned back to silence as Chris buried his head in his pillow. Trish grew more annoyed at her brother as she tossed open the curtains, letting in daylight which made her step brother groan as if it caused him physical pain to see the rays of sunshine.

"I get you're going through a hard time and you want to feel sorry for yourself but you have to see the bigger picture, the board of your father's company are furious with your partying antics becoming world wide news." Trish snapped as she pulled the covers off of her stubborn and drunk step brother.

"Just like your mother, worried about appearances." Chris hissed.

"Fuck you!" Trish took a deep breath as she attempted to calm her anger, she knew the last thing Chris needed was an angry blonde down his ear. "Going all Steven Tyler is not what the world needs to see right now, you're letting yourself and your father down…"

Chris' heard the words that Trish was saying, he knew she was right, the bitter truth of his recent actions sobered him up enough to look at his step sister in the eye. She saw nothing but a scared little boy, unsure about life.

"Get out Stratus…" Chris replied bluntly.

"Chris-"

"Leave me alone!" Chris howled.

Trish sighed heavily as she watched the mess of her step brother that lay in front of her. "Please don't do anything you'll regret."

The blonde bombshell gave her step brother a peck on the head before reluctantly leaving him in the suite alone with two hours to get to his father's funeral.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As Trish walked from the elevator into the lobby of the Codebreaker, she found Jeff sat in one of the chesterfield chairs that were dotted around the room. He flashed his girlfriend a hopeful smile to which she returned the smile with her eyebrows crossed.

"So I guess it didn't go well then…" Jeff asked as his girlfriend came over and sat on his knee.

Trish shook her head. "He's a mess…"

"He will be, he's just lost his father…" Jeff reminded the blonde.

"I'm worried this will become a cycle for him and he will end up losing everything like-" Trish began but paused as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Like me…" Jeff finished the sentence and shrugged. "I lost everything and gained it back… sure it took me a while but it happened for a reason…"

"This is different Hardy…" Trish frowned. "He's now the CEO of Jericho & Son, the headlines, the partying, the girls… it's expected from a rockstar and people forgive you in the end but the board might not be as quick to forgive him…"

"He just needs time." Jeff reassured her as he held her hand for support. "Surely they can make an exception for a grieving son?"

"I hate to break the news but blondie is right…" A familiar voice interrupted the couple.

Trish and Jeff turned to find Hunter stood in front of them looking debonair in his black suit and black sunglasses with his hair slicked back into a pony. He placed the glasses off his eyes and on the top of his head as he finished off his sentence.

"...I was Ted's right hand man before his plane disappeared, he found me useful and agreed I was a huge asset for Jericho & Co… in the short time I've worked for him I've managed to mingle successfully…"

"Yes and?" Trish asked as she raised her eyebrows and sat up straight on her boyfriend's knee.

"Ms Stratus… the board are not happy with Chris' 'no surrender everyday bender' he's had going on for the last week… I've heard through the grapevine that they'll be reviewing his position within the company in the coming days…"

"That doesn't sound to promising…" Jeff frowned.

"Yeah well if he shows up in any state less than perfect or if anything happens today to make them question his state of mind it will seal his fate…" Hunter explained.

"So basically he's super fucked!" Trish replied in a fake amused tone.

"It's not looking good anyway but if he can make it through the day with no hiccups… he has a slight chance at not being suspended… if he can convince them he's ready and by some miracle they believe him… he might just be a lucky son of a bitch and get away with it…" Hunter explained.

"Thanks for your input Hunter!" Chris announced sarcastically as he appeared from nowhere, his suit was creased along with his shirt, his tie was loose and his normally slick demeanor portrayed had vanished. He looked messy and slobbish, his eyes were red from the lack of sleep and marijuana in his system. The stimulants in his system made his pupils huge while alcohol lingered on him despite showering and brushing his teeth.

"Chris you made it!" Trish smiled. "I mean you look like shit but you got your clothes on that's a start…"

"I'm not going to be late for my father's funeral…" Chris replied. "And you don't have to worry about me screwing up… although I'm sure Hunter here would love to see that…"

"If you haven't noticed I'm trying to look out for you!" Hunter frowned.

"I don't need to be babysitted…" Chris scoffed. "You knew my father for two minutes and now you think you have some authority around here…"

"If you stopped acting like a child for five minutes-" Hunter began.

"How do I know you don't have something to do with my father's disappearance? You're loyal to Vince McMahon for years then all of a sudden you swap sides and then coincidentally my father's plane vanishes…"

"Being a crazy conspiracist doesn't suit you…" Hunter chuckled. "You never liked me and we all know why!"

"Stop it!" Trish screamed as she got between the bickering males. "If you could stop measuring your dicks for two seconds you would realise this is exactly what we don't need to be happening today!"

"Trish is right… Chris we get your going through a hard time…" Jeff began.

"I'm not you Jeff… I've let loose a little bit over the last couple of days… sure… but I'm not an addict… I'm not going to follow in your footsteps… I have self control…" Chris sniped.

"It's a slippery slope man…" Jeff sighed.

"I don't need your advice, I definitely don't want your advice." Chris scoffed as he looked at the three people in front of him. "This goes to all of you, stay out of my business…"

"Chris-" Trish began.

"Especially you Stratus!" Chris hissed as he stormed away.

Trish sighed as she watched her step brother got closer to the exit. Jeff placed his arm around the blonde as he placed a subtle kiss on her head.

"Let's hope he doesn't do anything stupid…" Hunter commented.

As Chris was walking and the others watched on, he walked straight into the glass door and fell back hitting his head in the process.

Trish and Jeff looked at Hunter.

"Starting from now…" Hunter chuckled faintly.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris arrived outside the church where the funeral was being held, it was already filled from business associates to elite upper east siders, reporters and bloggers and everyday people looking to pay their respects to one of the biggest names in New York City. Chris sat in his limousine as he prepared himself for a huge day - he hated the thought of the world being at his father's funeral. His step mother Alice making a huge fortune for the broadcast left him rattled but he was still unconvinced his father was dead.

A knock on the limousine window caused him to break his train of thought. Chris wound down the window to find Trish peaking in.

"How did you catch up to me, I got the first limo…" Chris asked confused.

"You're not the only one with a driver Jericho…" Trish smirked. "You gonna come out or am I coming in?"

Chris looked at her blankly.

"Guess I'm coming in…" Trish rolled her eyes as she unlocked the door from the inside. "Come on move up we need to make you look somewhat presentable…"

Chris reluctantly moved up across the limo as Trish closed the door behind her. She examined her step brother and began to sort his tie out.

"I'm not going to act like I know what you're going through, you think we're all trying to smother you but we're worried about you…" Trish explained as she attempted to make Chris's appearance look better. "...you don't have to go through this alone, you know that right?"

"That's the thing Stratus - I think I need too…" Chris admitted as Trish finished fixing him up.

Trish smiled sadly as Chris. "Don't let anyone get in your head… the whole world will be watching you, you're on thin ice with the board-"

"I get it Trish…" Chris sighed. "I'll be okay."

"I hope so." Trish replied as she gave her step brother a friendly kiss on the cheek before she exited the vehicle.

Chris sat in the limousine as he pulled out a flask from his pocket as he analysed the container he sighed and threw it across the seat.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The funeral began and to everybody's surprise Chris' behaviour was nothing short of perfect, he shook the right people's hands when needed to, accepted condolences and even managed to not let Alice get under his skin.

Chris, Jeff and Trish sat together at the front of the church as Alice played the distraught widow, the funeral started with a slideshow of Ted Jericho's life and achievements then the slideshow focused on the death of his first wife and raising Chris on his own before finally meeting Alice and unifying their families. Alice stood in front of the hundreds in attendance as a genuine looking tear fell down her cheek (for those who didn't know the real Alice.)

"It's just so shocking when something like this happens and when I first heard the news I didn't want to believe it, he really was my soul mate-" Alice continued with her speech.

Trish rolled her eyes at her mother's cliche yet convincing speech.

"-I hope that one day we get to the bottom of this mystery and I hope Ted is at peace wherever he may be, I hope he knows that he is missed and that my heart aches for the truth… I do love you Ted… always and forever!"

"She totally robbed our line…" Trish whispered angrily to Jeff's ear.

The whole church burst into applause as Alice's crocodile tears arrived right on que, wiping her eyes neatly with a towel. The priest came to the stand as he clapped.

"Eternal love is very rare… that was a very moving speech… thank you Alice…" The priest nodded in respect. "Next we have Ted's son Chris saying a few words…"

Trish patted Chris on the back with encouragement as he nodded and smiled sadly at her. He got on the stand and noticed the piece of paper which Alice had instructed him to read off - she couldn't have him embarrassing her going freestyle. He analyzed the paper before crumpling it together and his eyes looked at those in attendance. There were many people he knew in the church, JBL, Jillian, Amy, Matt were sat on one bench then John Stratus and a few other tycoons and big names were also sat together. Business associates, international partners, people he had known throughout his whole life, John Cena and his family, Torrie Wilson and her family, many familiar faces from Sacred Hearts. Hunter sat with other employees of Jericho & Sons. The one person who stuck out to him in that crowded room, a certain brunette. Stephanie McMahon. She flashed him a supporting smile unsure of how he would respond since their last encounter but suddenly he felt as if he was back in orbit, the smile put him back into reality.

"So I had a whole speech planned but as you've all realised from the last week I love to be spontaneous." Chris announced as he broke the ice in the church, his reference to his infamous antics from the previous week made the church chuckle slightly. "So today is all about my father Ted Jericho, wherever he is he'll be loving the attention - guess that is something I definitely inherited from him…"

The church chuckled again.

"My father was a fantastic businessman, one of the best, he knew how to get the best out of each and everyone of his employees, he was a people person and he always knew how to read the situation - that is something I unfortunately haven't seemed to inherit…"

Chris paused as he let out a deep breathe.

"...but today isn't to talk about his achievements or his businesses… we're here to talk about the man… Ted Jericho wasn't a good man…"

The church looked at each other in confusion.

Alice looked at Trish as she whispered in her ear. "He's going off script what's he doing!"

"He doesn't need a script..." Trish whispered back.

"...He was a great man." Chris continued after a dramatic pause. "I hope one day I can make him proud and follow in his footsteps - not by being the CEO of Jericho & Sons, not by being a fantastic businessman but by being a great man… anything else is just a bonus…"

The church clapped at the speech as Chris nodded at the crowd.

"...I know the last week I've been in some controversy, I know my father wouldn't be impressed, I know a lot of people including myself aren't impressed either, I just want to apologize for letting myself down and my father, people do crazy things when they're grieving…"

The board whispered as Chris continued to make his speech.

"...I didn't even realise I was grieving… I didn't realise a lot of things… but from this moment forward all I can do is make a vow to my father in trying to be the great man he wants me to be… it's all for you now old man… I hope you're in peace wherever you are…. I love you dad…"

The church clapped as the priest shook Chris' hand as he came off the stand.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

The wake of Ted Jericho was being held in the ballroom at the Codebreaker. Chris had surprised not only himself but the hundreds in attendance with his behaviour and words, it was hard to believe the headlines of the past week.

"You did good out there Jericho." A female voice broke Chris' train of thought.

"Maryse?" Chris smiled as he pulled the white haired female into a hug. "Wow I didn't know you were still in New York…"

"Yeah… I'm here, there and everywhere at the moment, I've come to meet my dad and pay my respects…" Maryse smiled back as they broke up the hug. "I'm sorry for your loss Chris."

"Yeah me too…" Chris sighed.

"Your speech was pretty good as well… you always were good with your words though…" Maryse chuckled.

"I'm not sure about that… sometimes I stick my foot in my mouth… I think I'm losing my touch." Chris half-chuckled as he looked at his former friends with benefits. "Does Trish know you're here?"

"I'm trying to avoid her… I gave her my card a while back and she never got in touch… I guess sometimes you gotta know when to let it go right?" Maryse smiled sadly.

"Yeah I guess you do…" Chris pondered. "Well thanks for coming Maryse, I just got something I have to do…"

"No problem.." Maryse nodded as Chris walked off into the crowd.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"I'm actually surprised at how much Chris has kicked ass today... here we thought he would ruin his whole life and he actually handled shit like a boss…" Jeff said with admiration.

"The kid has potential I'll give him that…" Hunter chuckled.

"What do you think the board will do now?" Trish asked.

"I'm not sure, I think they'll still be having a meeting with him but he did good today with the speech, I'm guessing they'll keep an eye on him but if his actions match his words… I reckon they may give him another chance…" Hunter admitted.

"Well they'd be stupid not too…" Stephanie added. "...and whether he realises it or not, he already is a great man…"

Trish shot her best friend a confused look. "Hey Steph I need to go the ladies room… can you come with me?"

"I don't need to go…" Stephanie shrugged.

"I need to borrow your mascara…" Trish continued.

"You always have mascara in your purse…" Stephanie asked oblivious.

"Stephanie… ladies room… now!" Trish exclaimed as she grabbed the brunette by the wrist.

"I wonder what that's about?" Jeff asked confused.

"Come on dude… are you serious?" Hunter chuckled.

Jeff looked blankly and shrugged.

"Come on you seriously don't know why they're going to the 'ladies' room' it's so obvious…" Hunter said as he rolled his eyes. "Trish needs mascara… she literally just said it…"

"And you're asking me if I'm serious?" Jeff rolled his eyes as he playfully chuckled. "I'm gonna go and find my brother and uncle, I know they'll be here somewhere…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Spill… now…" Trish demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"So first of all… you have been so quiet this week… that only means one thing for somebody like you who loves the sound of her own voice… you're thinking a lot about something… you haven't commented or tried to intervene in Chris' life and told me to knock it off when I've tried to talk to you about it… you have been avoiding him all day but yet you're praising him behind his back… in front of Hunter… no less… what's happened with you and Chris…"

"Nothing…"

"Stephanie!"

"No seriously Trish… nothing happened… he came mine… we made out… we stopped… he left… he made headlines for an entire week… usual…" Stephanie shrugged.

"So you're telling me you didn't have sex?" Trish scoffed, unconvinced.

"We didn't have sex… I really wanted too… but it's not what he needs right now…" Stephanie admitted.

"Oh my god will you just tell him already! You're both driving me insane!" Trish groaned.

"What-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, he loves you and you love him, you just won't admit it and you're making it really difficult when you can just get tell him how you feel, you get together, we go on cute double dates because we're both in relationships and we all live happily ever after!" Trish gleamed. "Simple…"

"Not simple…" Stephanie frowned. "Okay so maybe I do you know… but that doesn't mean it would ever work… we're not Trish and Jeff!"

"When did anybody ever think that me and Jeff would work?" Trish chuckled.

"But our families-"

"Stop making excuses on why you shouldn't be together and focus on the reason why you should… you love each other… don't let it go to waste…" Trish sighed. "Tell him Stephanie... he deserves to know…"

"You're right." Stephanie admitted. "I need to find him."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

As Trish was on her way back from the ladies room she bumped straight into two people she would've preferred to avoid.

"Patricia darling… look who I bumped into!" Alice beamed as she stood next to Trish's ex-boyfriend John Cena.

"I think I've seen you more in the last few months than I have since we left high school… not that I'm complaining you really do look great..." John chuckled. "I was saying to your mom… it's such a shame what happened to Ted… I'm sorry for your loss I've tried to see Chris but he's probably had enough of seeing people so tell him I send my condolences."

Trish chuckled uncomfortably. "Yeah…"

"You two were such a cute couple-" Alice began.

"Mother stop it… I know what you are trying to do." Trish frowned.

"Well I'm just saying you were both perfect together-"

"Stop it..." Trish replied bluntly. "Look John is great but what we shared wasn't love, I get that you don't like Jeff and that's okay but I love him and he loves me and you need to accept that I'm an adult and this is my choice… yeah me and Jeff aren't perfect but we're damn close… so if you will excuse me I need to find my boyfriend..."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff had eventually managed to find Matt, Amy, JBL and Jillian. The funeral was so big that it had taken him quite a while. The four were catching up - Matt and Amy had finally got rid of any weirdness between them, it was challenging but they were truly becoming friends again.

"So… we have some news…" Jillian beamed.

"Honey this isn't the right time…" JBL frowned. "We're at a funeral for god sake…"

"Yes I know that darling but we might not all be together in the same room so seize the opportunity!" Jillian frowned back at her husband.

"What's going on?" Matt raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Amy gasped.

"No!" Jillian gasped. "We're moving…"

"Moving where?" Jeff asked. "Uptown?"

"No son…" JBL said. "We're moving to Costa Rica…"

"Why?" Matt frowned.

"I don't need to be in New York anymore, you boys are finally grown up and seem to be on the right path, I've got more money than sense, I've got the woman of my dreams and I'm retiring…" JBL chuckled.

"Aren't you a little young to be retiring?" Jeff asked.

"Well that's the dream right?" Amy shrugged. "Find somebody to settle down with and move away and live happily ever after…"

"Yeah but you love New York!" Matt exclaimed. "I bet you planted the seed didn't you Jillian!"

"Look son… I love New York but what happily married couples ever last in this place? Divorce is rife, stress is constant… we've made our decision and that's final…" JBL explained. "We're moving over there, Jillian is opening up a medical centre which I'm going to help her with expenses, we have a nice little beach hut, you can come and visit whenever…"

"Well I think it's a great idea." Amy smiled. "I guess I better move my stuff out…"

"No Amy… you can stay in the townhouse…" Jillian smiled. "We're letting you keep it…"

"Jeff's moved in with Trish, Matt has a bachelor pad… we want it to stay in the family!" JBL explained. "And you are family Amy…"

"That's bullshit!" Matt frowned before storming off.

"What's that about?" Jillian frowned.

"It's a great offer but Matt is right… I couldn't possibly take you up on it…" Amy sighed.

"I don't understand-"

"Look why don't we discuss this when we're not at my girlfriend's step dads funeral?" Jeff suggested. "We're avoiding any sort of explosive conversations at the moment…"

"Of course…" JBL nodded. "I agree with you son…"

"Look I'm going to find Trish… I'll catch up with you guys later…" Jeff announced as he left to find his girlfriend.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish couldn't find Jeff anywhere, she sat down on a chair as she opened up her cell phone and began to text him to meet her in the corner when a fellow blonde sat down beside her.

"Hey Trish…" Torrie said sheepishly.

"Hi…" Trish replied unenthusiastically.

"I'm sorry about Ted, how's Chris holding up?" Torrie asked in an attempt to keep the conversation rolling. Truth was she had seen all the headlines and knew exactly how Chris was handling it.

"Ask your friend Adam he's been reporting his breakdown every hour on the hour and you know he has reliable sources so…" Trish replied cattily.

"I said I was sorry Trish and you let me keep my job so why can't we move past this?" Torrie sighed.

"I'll let you keep your job Torrie but I don't know if I can keep you as a friend… not after what you did…"

"I know there's no excuse-"

"No there isn't an excuse, I was going through one of the worst times of my life and you snaked me Torrie! I don't know if we can ever recover from this…" Trish sighed as she spotted her half-sister. "Look I gotta go… I'll see you around."

Trish jumped off the table and ran over to Maryse.

"Trish?" Maryse asked.

"I don't know what your doing here and right now I don't care let me walk with you…" Trish demanded.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

After searching high and low for Chris Jericho, Stephanie had given up. There were too many people at the funeral and trying to find the grieving son was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The chocolate brown brunette sighed as she exited the Codebreaker into the courtyard and to her surprise when she stopped trying to look for Chris, she found him.

Chris sat on the stone fountain looking into the distance.

"You're a hard man to track down Jericho…" Stephanie interrupted the silence and sat next to the billionaire.

"I needed some fresh air." Chris replied flatly.

"You did good today." Stephanie smiled softly as she attempted to make eye contact, the whole time Chris stared in the distance. "Look there's something I need to tell you…"

Chris sat in silence, his gaze never weathering.

"...I've never been good at emotions, I never believed in love or emotions - I was raised on survival and it's all I've known…"

"What's your point Stephanie?"

"My point is - you asked me to tell you how I feel and-"

"It doesn't matter anymore Steph…"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm done… I mean it… I'm not going to do this over and over again with you, it's messy and complicated and quite frankly draining…" Chris sighed as he finally made eye contact with the brunette.

"I know this hasn't been easy and I am partly to blame but…" Stephanie paused as she took a deep breath as she managed to calm her nerves. "I love you Chris Jericho and you deserve to know that."

"I'm done Stephanie, I gotta let you go." Chris smiled sadly as he planted a soft kiss on her head and picked himself up of the fountain to make his way back to the wake.

Stephanie felt her heart smash into a million pieces, a lump in her throat as she held back her tears in shock as to what had just happened. She didn't picture it going like this.

"So that's it… everything we've been through and it just ends like this? You're not going to give us a chance?" Stephanie exclaimed the emotion thick within her voice.

" I mean you never took a chance on me so why should I take a chance on you?" Chris replied with a monotone voice.

Chris turned his back on Stephanie and walked out of her view as Stephanie looked up to the sky unable to fight the tears that began to stroll down her face. They had done this a thousand times before but this time it felt like it really was the end of the road.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"There you are!" Trish exclaimed as she grabbed her boyfriend's arm. "Wow once you lose someone in here you might as well send out a missing person's report."

"I got caught up, there's a whole load of Amy/Matt drama about to go down…" Jeff chuckled anxiously.

"I thought they were friends now?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"I'll fill you in later, I've had enough of drama today…" Jeff chuckled. "So what do you say can we disappear yet or….?"

"Not yet… while you was MIA… I spotted my sister Maryse… we got talking… I'm actually surprised that she's pretty cool but we're just sitting with my dad and his new girlfriend so unfortunately our date without pants is going to have to wait just a little bit more." Trish chuckled as she placed a kiss lightly on his nose.

"Yay more relatives…" Jeff replied sarcastically as Trish screwed her face playfully at her boyfriend and lead him to the table to find Maryse, John Stratus and a familiar brunette.

"Candice Michelle?" Jeff gasped.

"Jeff Hardy - I didn't expect to see a familiar face here…" The brunette chuckled.

"Oh nice to see you already know each other…" Maryse chuckled.

"We know each other alright." Candice smirked.

"Sorry but how do you know each other?" Trish asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Why is Candice Michelle here?" Jeff whispered in Trish's ear.

"Candice is my dad's latest bootycall…" Trish whispered back.

"Does anybody want to fill us in?" John Stratus frowned.

"Yeah how do you two know each other?" Maryse asked curiously.

Candice blushed as she smirked at Jeff.


	27. Past And Present

**A/N - THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS AND CONTINUED SUPPORT. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. READ AND REVIEW AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER :-)**

 **DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE CHARACTERS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

"So you're still mad at him?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she sipped on her latte and kicked her feet up on her desk opposite her best friend. She had began to fit into StratusFashion and couldn't imagine not being there every day, she loved being a partner in the business.

"Of course I'm mad, once again his past comes back to haunt us!" Trish frowned. "First there was that two-faced, no-loyalty, cheap hoe bag slut Joy releasing the sex tape and now I found out the girl he dated after me is now my dad's girlfriend I mean c'mon… you couldn't write this stuff!"

"Look… I get it's annoying but Jeff is with you now and he hasn't got eyes for anybody else, it's easy to see how much he loves you." Stephanie replied in Jeff's defense.

"I kinda miss you being a cynic... I'm not sure how I feel about you always defending Jeff." Trish teased. "Once upon a time you would've told me to burn his stuff and run off with a mexican drug dealer… you've changed."

"Well what you and Jeff have is special… I just don't think you should let people ruin that… or let yourself ruin it…" Stephanie shrugged. "Besides it's not like Candice is gonna last, she's young enough to be your sister, it's just a phase, it's not like you're gonna be calling her step mom any time soon…"

"I guess." Trish rolled her eyes as she stayed silent for a second before erupting into a rant. "Why's it always brunettes? I mean I didn't even think Jeff liked brunettes…"

"Let it go Stratus…" Stephanie chuckled. "Besides Brunette's do it better baby."

"I don't think so honey, Blonde's definitely have more fun." Trish replied sticking her tongue out.

The office phone beeped interrupting their playful conversation.

"Hi Trish, I have Chris Jericho here to see you." Mickie announced through the phone.

"Send him in." Trish replied as she saw Stephanie's face make an uncomfortable expression. "I'm sorry do you want me to go outside?"

"No it's fine, I was about to head out anyway… I'll catch you later." Stephanie smiled faintly as Chris walked into the office. The tension could be cut by a knife as the two passed each other, Chris not even looking in the brunette's direction.

"I got you a caesar salad." Chris grinned at his step sister.

"Can you and Stephanie just kiss and make up already, I don't know what went on between you two at your father's wake because she just laughs and says nothing whenever I ask but this atmosphere between you two is really uncomfortable for me!" Trish frowned as she snatched the salad out of Chris' hands.

"Nothing-"

"Don't tell me nothing happened, that would imply that I'm stupid and I don't know you two like the back of my hands…" Trish frowned as she threw up her hands. "Leftie is you, rightie is Stephanie… now spill…"

"She told me she loved me." Chris admitted.

"That's great!" Trish beamed. "Finally you can stop playing games and-"

"No Trish… I'm done, this whole thing with my father made me realize I've had my priorities all messed up and it's time for me to let go of anything that isn't making me a great man… I love Stephanie sure… but we're bad for each other…" Chris shrugged. "I'm being mature enough to admit it…"

"You're so full of shit!" Trish scoffed. "You're telling me that time after time you have been shot down and rejected by Stephanie for her to finally admit she loves you and now you don't want her?"

"Well-"

"You're an ass Jericho!" Trish frowned as she slapped her step brother with a magazine.

"Ow what's that for!" Chris growled.

"What is wrong with you!" Trish shook her head. "You're both as bad as each other why can't you just be normal and tell each other you love each other and just start dating… like normal people…"

"This is exactly my point Trish… it shouldn't be this complicated… we haven't got together for a reason-"

"Because you're both fucking idiots!" Trish exclaimed.

"Noooo…" Chris exclaimed. "We're just not meant to be and I accept that and it's time to let it go… now that's the last time I want to hear about this… I mean it Trish…"

"Fiiiiine." Trish sighed. "Oh shoot I forgot I was supposed to meet Maryse…"

"Wait since when did you meet up with Maryse?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Since your fathers funeral, turns out having a sister is pretty cool and one of the ways I can handle my boyfriend's ex fling dating my estranged father." Trish smiled psychotically.

"Wow…" Chris said exaggeratedly. "And you're telling me to be normal!"

"Yeah… my life's a hoot!" Trish replied sarcastically. "Look I gotta go but are you okay? You've been through a lot these last few weeks and I just hope you're not secretly falling apart."

"I'm fine… go and meet your sister… tell her I miss tapping her ass!" Chris smirked.

"Ew… never say that again… it's practically incest…" Trish fake gagged.

"We don't share DNA, I mean not me and you, Maryse is a whole other story-"

"I've heard enough, I'm going to go before my ears explode!" Trish chuckled as she left her office.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

It had been a long few weeks for Stephanie and with all the madness that occurring around her - there was still a thought that stuck in the back of her mind. Melina. Stephanie had been so caught up with the disappearance of Ted Jericho that she didn't manage to check back up on her friend and the last time she saw her, it was clear that her situation was far from ideal.

The brunette couldn't help herself, she knew Melina had told her to leave her alone and that she would be fine but what if she wasn't? What if she ended up hurt or even worse - dead? Stephanie couldn't live with that on her conscious.

She jumped out of the cab (she wanted to keep a low profile) and found herself outside Melina and Dave's home, deciding to go against Melina's wishes and knock on the door.

The door opened and a surprised looking Melina answered. "Oh my god, what are you doing here Steph? I told you to never come back!" Melina whispered.

"I couldn't do that Mel…" Stephanie replied.

"Who is it babe?" Dave called as he walked over to the door, his facial expression turned to a disapproving frown when he spotted the brunette's talking. "Oh I didn't know we were expecting company, it's Stephanie right? We met at the fashion show…"

"I just happened to be in the neighbourhood and saw you both in the kitchen, I mean after Melina disappeared off the face of the earth I just wanted to make sure I wasn't hallucinating and long behold… here she is…" Stephanie lied.

"Yep flesh and blood…" Melina chuckled nervously as she analysed Batista's face to see how he would react.

"What's a hot-shot billionaire princess doing around the suburbs?" Dave kinked his eyebrow curiously, not convinced by her story.

"Oh you know… just… erm… doing a photoshoot, the day in the life of an average person!" Stephanie blagged as she was put on the spot.

"Well it was great for you to check up on Melina." Dave smiled falsely as he gripped Melina's arm. "But we're awfully busy, maybe pop by another time?"

"Why when I'm here now?" Stephanie challenged.

"Look Steph, Dave is right… we're in the middle of something… but it was great to see you!" Melina replied with wide eyes hoping Stephanie wouldn't pursue the conversation.

Stephanie stood there as she bit her tongue and nodded her head in defeat. "No worries… I'll see you guys soon… hopefully…"

Dave and Melina slammed the door behind her as Stephanie walked down the pathway and accidently kicked the welcome mat which just so happened to have a spare key underneath. Stephanie kinked her eyebrow as an idea entered her head.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish and Maryse walked around Central Park with iced lattes as they laughed and giggled and shared childhood stories.

"Wow I thought my mom was screwed up!" Maryse chuckled.

"Yeah Alice is a whole different league." Trish rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well my mom has been divorced 5 times and is currently on husband number 6…" Maryse smirked. "At this point she might as well be a walking advert for divorce lawyers."

"My mum had a gangbang in her youthful days and recorded it… obviously she erased it when me and Steph found it but my god you can't erase the memory!" Trish replied traumatised.

"Wow you win." Maryse admitted with her hands playfully in the air. "So I guess this is what it's like to have a sister, complain about how fucked up our families are?"

"Yeah… that's always what me and Chris did anyway…" Trish chuckled. "I mean, I know we don't share blood but he's my brother… just like Stephanie is my sister… I guess friends are the family that you choose…"

"Your lucky I never really had anything like that…" Maryse looked down.

"Well you do now!" Trish grinned. "It's been cool getting to know you, I'm sorry it took so long."

"I mean I always knew about you… it's different for me… no time like the present…" Maryse smiled hopefully. "...speaking of present, I know things are weird between you and dad right now-"

"Oh you mean because he's dating somebody my boyfriend had unprotected sex with various times…" Trish replied sarcastically. "Why would it be weird?"

"He wants us to go for dinner, you and Jeff, me and Candice and him…"

"I can think off a lot of other things I'd rather be doing… like sticking pins in my eyes… maybe join ISIS… you know that sort of thing?" Trish frowned.

"Oh c'mon, they dated for like a month!" Maryse chuckled at Trish's exaggerations. "It wasn't a deep or meaningful relationship."

"No they just had sex… lots and lots of sex…" Trish grinned sarcastically.

"Just think about it… Dad really likes her and you and Jeff are totally in love now… it doesn't really matter about one month in the big scheme of things right?" Maryse shrugged.

Trish sighed. "One dinner… but if she so much as breathes in Jeff's direction I will not be responsible for my actions!"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Amy, Matt and Jeff sat in the studio as they continued to work on their music. As Jeff was in the recording booth, Matt paused the music abruptly.

"What is wrong with you today!" Matt exclaimed as he stormed into the booth. "Your forgetting the words, your voice sounds like shit… what's up?"

"Nothing." Jeff replied unconvincingly.

"What's happened between you and Trish now?" Matt rolled his eyes. "I swear I can't keep up with you two!"

"She's pissed with me because her dad is dating a girl I had a fling with when we broke up!" Jeff burst into a rant. "I'm sick of all this shit, I mean I'm loyal to her when we're in a relationship, I only have eyes for her and she keeps getting pissed about shit that happened when we weren't together, I don't know what her fucking problem is!"

"Well it must annoy her, you know from a girls point of view…" Amy joined in.

"Let's be honest it was always me worrying about your conquests not the other way round." Matt sniped at Amy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amy frowned.

"You know you didn't have the best track record and you ended up cheating so-"

"Fuck you Matt!" Amy hissed. "So much for letting shit go!"

"You just can't handle the truth!" Matt hit back.

"That's it… I quit… fuck you and fuck your label!" Amy growled as she stormed out of the booth.

"Dude… niiiice…" Jeff raised his eyebrow at his brother.

"What?!" Matt replied innocently.

"Go and apologize…" Jeff demanded.

"No!"

"You're just pissed because she got left the townhouse and your being unfair… as usual." Jeff replied with a disapproving look.

"Fine…" Matt grunted as he followed after the redhead.

Jeff's phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _From: Sexy Ass_

 _Dinner with my dad, sister & your best friend 7 :-)_

 _Meet you Le Bernardin_

 _To: Sexy Ass_

 _Okay… p.s you're being ridiculous._

 **-x-x-x-x-**

"Amy wait!" Matt called after the redhead as she stormed halfway down the busy streets of New York. "Amy!"

"What do you want from me Matt!" Amy screamed. "I'm so sick of this shit!"

"I'm sorry…" Matt sighed.

"You're always sorry…" Amy shook her head as she rejected the apology. "We were cool and then JBL offered me to stay at the townhouse and you've been acting funny with me ever since! Be a grown up for once in your life and talk to me Matt!"

"I'm pissed okay… not because I want the townhouse… but if you move in… eventually you will be in the house we made all our memories with a new man… making your own memories!" Matt admitted. "It's the house I grew up in Ames… the house we grew up in and if you take the house…"

"Oh Matt… the last thing on my mind is finding a new boyfriend to move in with!" Amy rolled her eyes. "I told JBL I can't take the house anyway, I know it'd be weird for your ex to live in your family home!"

"It's stupid okay and I get that but I'm sorry for not addressing the issue sooner… sometimes I feel like an idiot for admitting stuff like that still gets to me… especially when it's me that's so against us getting back together…" Matt shrugged. "But I obviously still care…"

"I get it… you don't have to worry… I'm going to find somewhere else to live and JBL said he will sell the house… it's sorted…" Amy smiled sadly.

"Are you going to come back to the studio?" Matt looked at her hopefully.

"I don't think it's a good idea Matt… we have tried this being friends thing and we're no good at it… maybe this is a sign that I shouldn't be in the same city as you…" Amy sighed. "I think I'm going to go on the road again…"

"What do you mean?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Jeff and Trish are back together, you've opened up a New York branch of your studio and what am I doing? I'm living in the past while everybody else is moving forward… I need to find my own life… I just don't think it's in New York…" Amy admitted. "I've been thinking about it for a while and now with JBL selling the house… it's a perfect opportunity…"

"Amy I-"

"It's fine Matt… it needs to happen." Amy smiled.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie waited around, spying on Melina and Dave as she waited for an opportunity to speak to Melina on her own, after hours of watching, Dave finally got his coat on and walked out the front door leaving Melina unattended. Stephanie watched as Dave locked the door behind him as she gazed at the spare key and smirked.

The brunette waited for a few minutes and once Dave was out of sight it was a perfect opportunity. She placed the key in the door and let herself in, shocking Melina in the process.

"Oh my gosh Stephanie what are you doing!" Melina gasped.

"I'm getting you away from that monster, leave everything and come with me!" Stephanie instructed.

"Steph…" Melina sighed.

"No, Melina… we need to get you and the baby away from him!" Stephanie demanded.

"I can't leave him…" Melina looked down.

Stephanie gave the fellow brunette a puzzled look as she lifted a piece of hair out of her face to see her cheek bruised, the mark wasn't there before.

"He's hit you? What just because I turned up unannounced? How can you say he won't hurt you or the baby!" Stephanie fumed.

"He never hits my stomach… he loves the fact we're having a baby together-"

"Melina… Trish got beaten to an inch of her life and lost her baby because of my brother, I can't leave you here with that monster, Trish lives to tell the tale and you might not be so lucky… please… come with me… you don't have to worry about anything… we will look after you…" Stephanie pleaded as she placed a hand on her friend's stomach. "Both of you…"

Melina looked down at the floor as she let out a sigh and nodded her head courageously. "You're right… let's go… he won't be long."

Stephanie grinned as she pulled Melina into a tight hug, the moment was interrupted by a cough.

The girls turned around to see Batista stood with a spine chilling smirk on his face. "I thought I told you that we were busy tonight!"

Melina cowered behind Stephanie who stood up to the male showing no fear or intimidation. "We're leaving!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Batista laughed as the girls attempted to run for the door and he placed his foot to block it from opening. "You really should've just left us alone."

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish finished off some of her designs for the latest collection as she noticed the time, she was running behind. "Fuck sake." She muttered to herself.

Dinner with her father and his whore was the last thing she wanted to be doing right now, why she agreed to the meal was beyond her. She was instantly regretting the decision.

Trish locked her office as she noticed Mickie still at her desk. "You do know you can go home when everybody else does?"

"I'm just catching up on some work… besides I don't really feel like going home right now…" Mickie sighed. She hadn't been as chirpy as she normally portrayed herself to be and in a weird way Trish missed her dramatic and exaggerated personality, she had become accustomed to being annoyed by the brunette.

"I know the feeling…" Trish sighed. "What's up?"

"Oh it's nothing… just my ex girlfriend… she's been sort of harassing me…" Mickie admitted. "I told her I don't want to be with her anymore and she just keeps turning up at my apartment… it's fine… I'll live… how are you?"

"Not great, Jeff and I… we're kind of arguing…" Trish sighed.

"Oh no…" Mickie faked sympathy. "That's crappy…"

"Yeah it's making me think whether I can really let go off his past…" Trish shrugged. "I need to go anyway I'm running late… as usual… I'll see you tomorrow Mickie and hope the case of the ex settles down soon…"

"Night Trish… oh and btw you're not ridiculous…" Mickie smiled. "I'd be pissed too…"

Trish stopped mid-walk. "I never said I was ridiculous?"

Mickie's eyes widened as she realized she only knew that because she still had Trish's old phone.

"Oh yeah… I mean… I can only imagine that's how you feel… but… he… was a wild guy and I'd be pissed that it keeps coming back to haunt your relationship…" Mickie improvised.

"Oh yeah…" Trish shrugged. "Night Mickie…"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish pulled up outside the restaurant to find Jeff stood outside. "Why haven't you gone in yet?"

"Don't you think we need to talk before we go and play happy families?" Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"Happy families? I feel like we're playing happy relationships!" Trish frowned.

"So what do you want from me a whole list of people I slept with when we weren't together?" Jeff scoffed.

"Can't you see why I'm pissed?!" Trish fumed.

"Honestly no… you're being-"

"Yeah you've made it quite clear that I'm ridiculous!" Trish pouted.

"Well quite frankly you're acting a bit ridiculous… yeah!" Jeff sighed.

"And you're a man whore who thinks with his penis!" Trish smiled falsely.

"When you want to talk like an adult we'll continue this conversation." Jeff rolled his eyes.

"And when you've mastered self control we'll continue this relationship!" Trish hit back.

"Let's just get through this dinner without ripping each other's heads off…" Jeff rolled his eyes as he stormed in the restaurant as he muttered under his breath. "Spoiled Brat."

"Jackass…" Trish muttered as she followed behind him.

The two walked in to find Maryse, Candice and John Stratus sat around a table, laughing and joking. John noticed the couple and smiled as he brought Trish in for a hug.

"Glad you could make it sweetheart." John beamed.

The two separated and Trish looked at Candice, immediately giving her a dirty look.

"I'm so glad you could join us!" Candice smiled.

Trish ignored the brunette as she smiled at her sister.

Jeff stood awkwardly, the evidence from their argument was the energy the couple brought in with them. Jeff shook John's hand, greeted Candice and Maryse and sat down awkwardly next to his girlfriend. Their bodies subconsciously turned away from each other indicating the drift in their relationship at the present moment.

The night continued and it was worse than Trish could ever imagined - especially when Candice and Jeff got a long so well.

"Yeah it's crazy to see the infamous Jeff Hardy settled down, I mean if this was the old Jeff you'd be taking body shots off my stomach right about now." Candice smirked.

"Seriously?" Trish chuckled.

"Trish…" Maryse said.

"No!" Trish frowned. "Are you seriously okay with your supposed girlfriend flirting with my supposed boyfriend in front of us!"

"They're just reminiscing honey, I trust Candice…" John stated.

"Can you not make a scene right now, I'm just trying to be play the perfect boyfriend role!" Jeff whispered angrily in Trish's ear.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to cause any tension, I understand it's not the easiest thing to be around the girl who was the reason you two broke up…" Candice announced innocently.

Jeff shut his eyes, he couldn't believe what Candice had just said.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Trish replied bluntly.

"Well y'know… Vegas… you attacked me like a wild animal…" Candice stated.

"You're the bitch that was in his bed!" Trish screamed.

"Trish… that was years ago…" John replied.

"Nothing happened between us while I was with you Trish… I promise you… I've never cheated on you and I never would…" Jeff looked at the furious blonde who began laughing psychotically.

"I mean yeah… it wasn't until you broke up we slept together…" Candice added.

"Can you just shut up for one minute please." Jeff snapped at Candice who sipped her martini and shrugged.

"No carry on… don't stop for my sake… I'm all ears!" Trish said loudly.

"Maybe we should get the bill…" Maryse added.

"That's a great idea." John said.

"You know what wasn't a great idea…" Trish said as she looked at her boyfriend. "This… us… this was such a ridiculous idea!"

"Oh come on Trish…" Jeff sighed.

"Find somewhere else to stay tonight." Trish instructed as she stormed out of the restaurant.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish sat in her apartment as she watched a low-budget movie that featured Candice, her curiosity got the better of her and she had begun to google the brunette. Candice Michelle was a failed actress turned bikini model. Her only role was in a movie about a killer rat.

As the movie played the rat began to claw Candice on the screen.

"Yeah bite the bitches face off!" Trish yelled at the TV as she ate ice cream from the tub.

As she watched the screen, Jeff appeared from nowhere and stood in front of the TV.

"I thought I told you to stay somewhere else." Trish frowned.

"I'm not going anywhere… we're sorting this out…" Jeff replied bluntly.

"You really want to do this right now?" Trish stared at Jeff with fire in her eyes.

"Let rip…" Jeff stared back.

"I can't believe she's the bitch that was in your hotel room that day and you didn't even tell me!" Trish screamed.

"I thought that was why you were so pissed!" Jeff replied. "So let me get this street you were only pissed because I had sex with her, you didn't know that was the girl you found in my bed!?"

"Yep… so you can imagine how thrilled I am right now!" Trish replied sarcastically.

Jeff sighed as he sat on the footstool opposite Trish. "Trish I never cheated on you."

"How long did it take for you to sleep with her after I left?" Trish asked angrily.

"Trish that doesn't matter…"

"How long!?" Trish shouted.

"I slept with her as soon as you broke up with me." Jeff admitted.

Trish laughed maniacally. "So while I was heartbroken you just jumped into bed with another girl!"

"We weren't together and if you remember… you broke up with me!" Jeff defended himself.

"She was in your fucking bed Jeff!" Trish screamed. "Imagine I had another man in my bed and you walked in on me, you wouldn't even give me the chance to explain myself!"

"That was a lot of drugs and bad decisions and I can't change it…" Jeff admitted. "We're good now, so much has happened since then!"

"I just don't know if we can move forward when your past always pops up to ruin the progress we make..." Trish sighed.

"Why are you so ready to just give up on us!" Jeff asked.

"Don't turn this around on me!" Trish scowled.

"No… tell me what have I actually done wrong… I never cheated on you… I'm loyal to you… I've turned my whole life around just to win you back and you're so ready to give up on us and throw in the towel at any given opportunity." Jeff exclaimed. "Why do I feel like I'm the only one fighting for this relationship!"

"I've always fought for you!" Trish exclaimed back as she stood up and kicked the foot rest that Jeff was sat on. "You broke my heart!"

"And you broke mine!" Jeff yelled back. "Do you think you're the only one who got hurt in our break up! Yeah I slept with a bunch of girls and did a lot of drugs and I partied… that's how I dealt with you walking out of my life but you know what I realised no matter what I try to do to fill the void... it doesn't work!"

Trish sat back on the sofa in silence as she took a deep breath.

"I love you Trish… I always have… I always will... " Jeff sighed as he got down on his knees facing the blonde. "If you don't believe you're the only I want then I don't know what else to do."

Trish stayed silent as she closed her eyes. "I'm scared Hardy... I feel like it's too good to be true."

Jeff grabbed the blonde's hand as he placed it on his heart. "It's yours… always and forever… I don't know what else to say Trish…"

"Sometimes less is more…" Trish smiled softly as she looked at the enigma's dazzling green eyes. "I'm sorry… I guess I was being slightly ridiculous…"

"We're not going to mess up this time… this is it now… you and me…" Jeff reassured the blonde.

The blonde nodded. "Always and forever."


	28. Fatal Attractions

**A/N - I know it's been a while, I'm sorry it's took so long but here's the latest update. As I said last time life can be busy for me sometimes but I do try and update this story as often as I can... as for my other story... I have lost all inspiration but I will get round to it at some point. Please read and review as usual and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :-)**

 **DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN WWE SUPERSTARS OR ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY.**

" _It has been three days since socialite and newly confirmed partner of StratusFashion - Stephanie McMahon has been reported missing. The daughter of billionaire Vince and Linda McMahon has been missing and hasn't had contact with any of her friends or family. The bizarre case has sparked multiple conspiracy theories about the disappearance but up to now we don't have many leads as to the whereabouts of the billion dollar princess. I'm Gail Kim and I'm reporting for NewsOfAmerica."_

"First my father and now Stephanie… I'm starting to feel like I'm cursed." Chris sighed as he flicked the TV off in Trish and Stephanie's office.

Trish looked at her step brother with fear in her eyes, she was worried about her best friend but she knew she had to be the calm one in this situation with the recent events that Chris had been through - she was worried this was enough to push him over the edge. The blonde beauty stood up out of her chair as she went to hug her brother.

Chris dodged the hug and placed his arms defensively against his chest. "I wouldn't get so close to me, it seems anybody that I care about disappears…"

"Chris stop it!" Trish replied sternly. "We are going to find Stephanie… the police have been in contact, they don't believe she is being held for ransom so that's a start…"

"Well then where the hell is she!" Chris snapped as he punched the desk in anger causing his step sister to jump slightly. The male took a few deep breaths as he ran his shaking hand through his dirty blond, messy locks. "I'm sorry Trish… I didn't-"

"I know you're angry and scared…. So am I…" Trish sighed. "We can't lose our heads Chris…"

"You don't understand Trish… the last time I seen her I didn't even as much as look in her direction and now…" Chris stopped as swallowed the lump in his throat and exhaled loudly. "...I told her I was letting her go… I didn't take a chance on her… what if I don't have that choice anymore?"

"Stephanie is the meanest, strongest, craziest bitch I have ever met in my life." Trish stated. "She's a McMahon... she's a survivor… she's not going anywhere… we will find her!"

Trish looked at Chris as she spoke hope into his soul, reconfirming her own hope in the process. The blonde bombshell placed a reassuring hand on her stepbrother's arm and a small, hopeful smile emerged on her lips. "We're not losing her… we can't…"

As the siblings shared a tender moment it was soon interrupted as her office doors swung open.

"I told you that Ms Stratus isn't seeing anybody today!" Mickie screamed as she followed the crowd that emerged in Trish's office, glancing at the blonde and holding her hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry Trish… I tried to stop them… do you want me to get security?"

In front of Mickie stood three people Trish would be happier never seeing again. The McMahons - Vince, Linda and Shane.

Trish gulped in fear as she made eye contact with the man who brutally beat their child out of her. The first time she had laid eyes on him since the stomach churning events.

Chris acted almost on instant as he charged straight at Shane, gripping him up by his neck. "You have some nerve showing your face here!" Chris screamed in his face as he began to rough him up.

Shane and Chris continued to bicker as the McMahon parents tried to split them up.

"Stop it!" Trish exclaimed causing the four to stop. "You know you shouldn't be here Shane, you're breaking your restraining order, give me one good reason why I shouldn't get my assistant to get you arrested!"

"It's about Stephanie…" Shane replied.

"I'll speak to you Mr and Mrs McMahon…" Trish nodded weakly before her eyes locked onto her monster ex-boyfriend, her lips snarling. "You don't need to be here… leave… now."

Shane smirked arrogantly. "If you think this is an excuse to see you, you're mistaken, I've moved on myself, I'm in a committed relationship with a respectable woman-"

"Mickie call the police!" Trish replied with a straight face, showing no emotion.

"There's no need…" Vince interrupted. "Shane was just leaving…

Chris let go of Shane who was escorted out of the office by Mickie leaving Trish face to face with Stephanie's parents.

"You have some nerve bringing him here!" Chris bellowed.

"I understand but we're here to talk about Stephanie and whether you like it or not that is Shane's sister.." Linda responded.

"Oh so now you're claiming Stephanie?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"It's not a good luck that the McMahon princess has disappeared." Vince stated.

Trish chuckled with disbelief. "You don't care about her well being at all… I don't have time for this… I suggest you leave…"

"We're here to inform you that if we are contacted for money in exchange for Stephanie that we won't be negotiating and we suggest you do the same." Linda admitted.

"You make me sick…" Trish shook her head.

"That's fine by me but when you're bankrupt because Stephanie has been kidnapped by higher forces and they demand everything in your bank account would you ever really be able to forgive Stephanie for diminishing your life's work?" Vince asked.

"She's your family!" Chris exclaimed.

"No she isn't…" Trish shook her head as she glared at the McMahon's. "She's our family and if that means I have to sacrifice every last penny of my bank account to get her home safely, I will do that in a heartbeat… now get out of my property before I get you arrested… including your murderer son…"

The McMahons left with their heads held high, once again worried about their business instead of their daughter. The visit of the McMahon's struck fear into the souls of Trish and Chris - it was clear they weren't interested in anything other than their publicity and money. The police had no leads as to where Stephanie was and the fact she forgot to take her phone with her on her lunch break didn't help with finding any clues. The police were no help perhaps that was because the McMahon's weren't pushing them how they should, they had the power to get every last officer on a manhunt for their daughter but they chose not to. Trish and Chris couldn't understand it.

"What are we going to do?" Chris asked in defeat. "Why do I feel like we're the only ones trying to find her!"

Just as Trish was about to respond to her step brother, her cell phone began to ring.

 _ **Unknown Caller ringing ….**_

Trish looked puzzled at her cell as she accepted the call. "Hello?"

"Ms Stratus… My name is Johnathon Coachman… I am a friend of the McMahons-"

"Well then you are no friend of mine!" Trish replied with venom in her voice.

"Wait-" Coach yelled on the other line. "I think I know where Stephanie is…"

Trish listened intently on the phone as her eyes widened. The blonde ended the phone call as she looked at Chris. "We need to go… now!"

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Jeff, Amy, Matt, JBL and Jillian sat in the townhouse. It was the day that JBL and Jillian were about to move to Costa Rica. Emotions were high as they finished packing the last of their belongings and waited for their driver to pick them up and take them to the airport.

"I can't believe it's really here…" Jillian grinned ecstatically.

"You're not the only one sweetie… I never thought I'd get out of this townhouse…" JBL said with mixed emotions in his voice. "Well it's all finalised, an anonymous buyer has bought the townhouse… are you boys going to be alright without me? I don't want to have to get a flight home in a weeks time!"

"We'll be fine Unc…" Jeff chuckled. "You deserve to have a happy ending, you have given up so much for us and now it's time to focus on yourself."

"I wouldn't have changed a minute of it son." JBL grinned as he embraced his nephew in a hug. "You make sure you're there for Trish, she'll be needing you right now with the disappearance of Stephanie…"

"She's holding it up… she's stronger than she looks…" Jeff smiled sadly.

"Yes she is… she's a good woman…" JBL nodded as he looked at his nephew and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you're turning into a fine man, your parents would be proud of you Jeffrey…"

Jeff nodded as he felt a lump form in his throat - he had never heard those words before.

JBL turned to face Matt who was still not thrilled about the idea of his uncle leaving New York. "Now son… I know you have your opinions on me leaving but this is mine and Jillian's decision, I hope you can accept it…"

Matt nodded as he pulled his uncle in for a hug. "Good luck Uncle."

JBL and Matt split from their hug as he turned to face Amy. "Amy Dumas…"

Amy smiled with tears in her eyes as she exploded as she gave Jillian and JBL a group hug.

"It's been a pleasure to get to know you Amy, you have been a good friend to me" Jillian smiled at the redhead. "What will you do now?"

Amy released the couple with a bittersweet smile. "It's time for me to move on… just like you."

"Will you be okay red?" JBL asked. "I worry about you as if you were my own."

"I'll be fine…" Amy smiled. "You really have been there for me more than my own family and I want to thank you for everything."

"You don't need to thank us…" JBL shrugged. "You're family and family never turn their backs on each other… do they…"

JBL looked at Matt who put his head down.

A vehicle beeped outside interrupting the emotional goodbye.

"Well that is us!" Jillian grinned as she looked at her husband. "Are you ready for our happily ever after."

"Darn right I am!" JBL grinned as he planted a sloppy kiss on his wife. "You folk look after one another or ya'll have me to deal with!"

"I'll help you out with your bags Jillian…" Matt offered as he picked up her bags and helped the couple down the steps.

As Matt helped his uncle and aunt, Jeff and Amy stood facing each other.

"So where are you going to go now?" Jeff asked.

"Who knows, it's about the journey not the destination right?" Amy smirked.

"Don't get all philosophical on me Ames…" Jeff rolled his eyes playfully as he embraced Amy in a friendly hug. Amy couldn't help but let out a few tears. "Why are you crying I thought this was what you wanted?"

"It was… I mean it is but I'm going to miss you… and Matt…" Amy admitted.

"Well… it's a good job that you don't have to go…" Jeff smirked as he released Amy from the hug.

"What do you mean?" Amy replied with a puzzled look.

"I'm the anonymous buyer…" Jeff chuckled. "Turns out I wasn't ready to let the house go or you for that matter…"

"Jeff… I can't…" Amy sighed.

"It's only temporary… I mean I want to move in here with Trish eventually… for now while you find yourself… just stay…" Jeff chuckled.

"Jeff…" Amy spluttered.

"You don't have to leave New York to find your future… it's here… I know it is… I will help you find it… whether it's doing music or something you haven't even figured out yet… you don't have to be on your own…. Like JBL said… you're family… family don't turn their back on each other." Jeff smiled.

"Matt isn't going to be happy." Amy sighed.

"Actually… I agreed with Jeff…" Matt interrupted their conversation. "Look I know I had a hissy fit but the reality is I'd rather your here with family than out in the world on your own…"

"Until next week when you hate me again." Amy raised an eyebrow.

"I don't hate you… I wish I did sometimes… the reality is I love you Ames… whether we're together or not… I want you to be safe… I want you to have a support network… I want you to know that you're not alone and you belong in New York… with your family." Matt smiled.

"It's only temporary… so I guess…" Amy smiled as she pulled the Hardy brothers in for a group hug.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish and Chris walked into a shady little diner on the outskirts on Manhattan. The phone call that Trish received had instructed her to meet at the diner and to keep a low profile. She was confused and unsure if any of this would help Stephanie but if there was a chance it would she had to take it.

The step siblings sat in a dirty little booth as they waited for Coach.

"What if it's just a prank?" Chris raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"What if it isn't?" Trish asked back.

The door flew open and in came Johnathon Coachman. He swiftly entered the booth.

"I'm sorry for calling you out here…" Coach began. "My name is Johnathon Coachman, I'm a private investigator… amongst other things… I've worked for the McMahons for many years…"

"So what has this got to do with Stephanie?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Look Stephanie came to me a few weeks ago regarding Dave Batista… do you know him?" Coach asked.

"Unfortunately yes…" Trish asked in confusion. "Why would she-"

"Look to cut a long story short, she was worried about her friend Melina Perez…" Coach explained.

"She got you to look him up for me…" Trish realised. "She didn't want me to worry so she thought she would take it into her own hands…"

"Whatever the reason, she asked me to look into it and I did…" Coach explained.

"So why can't you tell the police?" Trish raised an eyebrow.

"What I do… is not exactly legal… I don't want to say too much… besides the McMahons they've already warned me to not say anything…" Coach sighed as he looked over his shoulder in paranoia.

Chris and Trish looked at each other in confusion.

"Look it's complicated… I didn't realise how complicated… I've got Stephanie in a bit of a mess actually… I gave her the address for Dave Batista and I think that's where she is…" Coach said.

"So why would the McMahons-"

"Look I've said too much… here is the address… you need to get the police to search the house… I don't think she'll have much time left… I can't say anymore than this…" Coach said as he got up from the table.

"What has this got to do with the McMahons?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Everything…" Coach sighed as he walked out of the diner. Chris looked at the piece of paper with Dave's address.

"I'm going to get her!" Chris announced.

"You need to wait for the police…" Trish sighed. "We'll go together…"

"I'm not wasting time… I'm going Trish... You get the police… I'll be there…" Chris stated as he stormed out of the diner.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Melina lay handcuffed to the bed, she had been in the same position for days, her arm ached from the blood draining down to her shoulder and she felt exhausted. Stephanie was nowhere to be seen, she didn't know what Dave had done to her. He had come in every so often to feed her and give her water, the brunette was being treated like a pet. He would let her out of the handcuffs every few hours and make her use the bucket as a toilet, unwilling to unlock the door and let her out of the bedroom.

Dave sat next to her on the wooden chair as he stroked her face patronisingly. "I didn't want it to be like this Mel… you're different… you're special… you're pure…"

Melina shuddered at the sound of the voice, he had barely spoken to her over the last few days. She was scared to say anything to him. She would ask him about Stephanie and receive no answer.

"Why are you doing this?" Melina asked timidly.

"I wanted a quiet life… I've done horrible things… terrible things…" Dave continued as he placed the bottle of water on the side. "You were supposed to be my saviour…"

Melina sat quietly.

"I've been around the world and met many different women… all of them tainted… Amy for instance… she deserved the beatings and treatment I gave her… she had sinned her whole life and I was trying to help her… change her… make her evolve… but I've not had to do that with you… well I didn't until that boss of yours had to get involved… we were good… you are good… you're mine… never touched..."

Melina was lost, she had no idea what Dave was going on about. He was speaking in riddles.

"Is Stephanie okay?" Melina asked.

"Don't worry about the McMahon slut…" Dave chuckled. "Melina this could still work, we can still be together, away from everything and everyone, me, you and our baby… you just have to tell me you love me…"

"You don't know what love is… if you did… you wouldn't have me in this room like this!" Mel responded in a frightened manner.

"I love you!" Dave jumped off of the chair and threw the bedside cabinet against the wall smashing it into three pieces. "I know what I have to do…"

Dave stormed out of the room - leaving Mel crying and praying for her life and Stephanie's.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie was passed out in the basement, she was trembling from the lack of sunlight, food and water. She was tied up on a wooden chair and had been there for days. She didn't know how long it had been but it had felt like an eternity, Batista had left her tied up - occasionally giving her a sip of water.

"I know I'm dealing with it!" Dave screamed from the top of the stairs waking up the brunette. "This is not going to get back to you, I understand sir, yes sir I understand the position you are in, I'm dealing with it, nobody will ever link me to you sir… I know… yes sir…"

Stephanie's sight was blurry, she was distorted and murky. She watched as the basement door opened, the light at the top of the staircase burning her eyes as she blinked to try and regain focus. The heavy footsteps from Batista curdling her stomach as she tried to contain her fear.

"You have no idea how much trouble you've caused for me you stupid bitch!" Dave hissed at the brunette, he kneeled down to her level, his black eyes locked onto hers as he tried to eject more fear into her - Stephanie staring back with a poker face. Stephanie snarled at the monster in front of her as he went to touch her, she stopped him by spitting in his face which she soon realised wasn't the smartest decision as he punched her in the face.

Dave shook his hand from the punch and began to cackle. "You're out of luck princess… you had one thing working in your favour… the fact you're a McMahon…"

Stephanie's face pounded as the imprint of his knuckles caused her to squint in pain.

"...turns out that's not an issue anymore…" Dave chuckled as he pulled out a handgun. "I can just skip to the end."

Stephanie looked into the face of evil, the gun glaring at her face. The brunette tried her best to hide her fear, to contain her rapid breathing and attempt to stay calm but this was too much for even the great Stephanie McMahon's pokerface.

"Do it…" Stephanie hissed. "My family will find you!"

Batista laughed menacingly. "Your family?!"

Stephanie stared back with a confused look.

"You haven't got a clue…" Dave grinned as he released the safety on the gun.

Suddenly a smash from upstairs distracted Batista. Stephanie's eyes widened with hope as she began to scream for help. Dave slapped her with the gun, knocking out the brunette and causing the chair she was tied to fall onto the floor.

"Fuck sake…" Dave muttered at the inconvenience.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Chris snuck into the address that he had been given, it looked like a fairly average home. Typical suburban house. The atmosphere was eerie and it was quiet, the type of silence to cause the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. His gut was telling him to stay alert, be prepared for the unexpected. He had snuck in the house by breaking the glass next to the back door and opening the door from the inside - probably not his smartest idea as he had let Dave know that he was here. Chris hoped Trish would turn up with back up sooner rather than later but for now his main objective was to get Stephanie out of the house.

The playboy millionaire snuck around the house, it was dark and badly lit - the sun was about to go down as the night began to make its presence. He heard footsteps coming from the basement up to the ground floor as he began to silently creep upstairs. He came to the bedroom door which he tried opening with no success - he was missing a key. "Stephanie?" Chris whispered through the door but with no reply.

The creek of the stairs caught Chris's attention as he hid in the shadows of the staircase.

"I know somebody is here… come out to play… Batista is ready for you…" Dave chuckled maniacally as he slowly made his way up the stairs.

Once Dave stood at the top of the stairs he looked around, Chris was hiding in a closet but could see the man through the gaps. Dave locked eyes on the closet, slowly making his way to Chris.

The billionaire took a deep breath, he knew it was now or never.

Chris exploded through the closet doors with all his might as he punched Dave with minimal effect. The two began to fight on the landing as Dave effortlessly managed to defend himself against the other male. Chris struggled to regain momentum as Dave swiftly dropped his leg causing the billionaire to fall down the stairs.

"You are all becoming quite annoying!" Dave flared as he looked at his opponents motionless body from the top of the staircase. The raven haired male turned his attention to the bedroom door as he unlocked it.

Melina's eyes widened as she noticed Batista's furious expression. "What's going on?"

"Do you see what problems you have created!" Dave spat in her face as he unlocked the cuffs from her wrist and aggressively grabbed her off of the bed.

"Ow you're hurting me!" Melina whined.

Dave ignored Melina's complaints as he grabbed her by the hair and directed her out of the room. Melina attempted to break free but to no success. The two stood on the stairs and Dave's eyes widened as he noticed Jericho's body was no longer at the bottom of the stairs where he left him.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Stephanie's eyes opened slowly, her head banging from the attack from Batista. The brunette was still dazed and it took a couple of seconds for her to get back to reality, she jumped as she noticed a male on top of her as she was about to scream for help, the male placed a hand over her mouth. It was dark and gloomy and she couldn't quite make out who it was.

"Shhh…. Don't make a sound… I'm getting you out of here…"

The voice soothed her fears, automatically feeling safe. Chris Jericho had found her, he was here to save her. As Chris managed to unwrap the brunette from the rope, she erupted into a hug never wanting the moment to end but knowing in her heart that they weren't safe just yet.

"We need to get you out of here!" Chris exclaimed quietly.

"We need to find Melina… we can't leave her." Stephanie replied.

"I'll get you out then come back for Melina…"

"No!" Stephanie fumed.

"I wish you weren't so stubborn!" Chris frowned.

"Well isn't this romantic…" A spine chilling voice chuckled as the lights of the basement turned on. Dave stood at the top of the basement with a weeping Melina held by her hair as he dragged her down the stairs, his handgun aimed perfectly at Chris and Stephanie.

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Trish and Jeff sat in the back of a police car, she had done what was needed to be done. The only thing she worries about now is if they were already too late. Trish shook in the back of the car as she could no longer keep her brave face steady instead her lip wobbled as she attempted to fight back her frightful tears.

Jeff glanced at his woman who was looking directly out the window, her shaky hand was intertwined with his.

"It's going to be okay… we're on our way now…" Jeff attempted to reassure his girlfriend with a tight squeeze on her nimble fingers.

"What if we're too late?" Trish asked timidly as she turned to face her boyfriend.

The police car arrived at the suburbs along with back up, the house in question was in darkness but a light shone through the basement window. A gunshot broke the silence as the police began to raid the house while the police invaded the house, one lost gunshot was heard.

Trish looked at her boyfriend as she dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "We're too late!" She sobbed.


End file.
